The government’s 2009-2010 budgets unanimously passed yesterday on the first reading. In a first time ever occurrence, no members of the opposition parties were present for the pre-vote discussions in boycott of the coalition. In response, the coalition began budget voting eight hours early, after just over two hours of deliberations.
The budget now moves onto Knesset committees where it is expected to face opposition in several areas, especially a proposal to add a value added tax (VAT) on fruits and vegetables.