Meir Porush
Meir PorushEsti Dazyobov, TPS

A proposed bill to delay the deadline for the State budget has received promises of support from the Likud, Blue and White, and Shas parties, but the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party has not yet voiced its opinion on the matter.

According to UTJ sources, some members of the party believe that the bill is a political ploy to gain time and delay the crisis by another few weeks, but that an excuse will be found to dissolve the Knesset just prior to the new deadline.

On Monday morning, the party's Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush announced that he believes the bill should be supported.

"Personally, I support the Derech Eretz party's proposal to delay the [deadline for the] budget," he told Kol Barama Radio. "If we do not vote for it, we will be heading towards new elections, so if this is a way to pass the budget, I'm in favor."

Regarding his party's cooperation with the rest of the right-wing bloc and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Porush said: "It's annoying when we're part of the right-wing bloc and help the Prime Minister, and he can't remember us and take care of the things that are important to us - for instance, making sure that they don't impose needless lockdowns on us."

"I expect the decision-makers to wake up and act like partners towards us," he added.