Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 19/21 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 1.-15. November Die Themen dieser Ausgabe 1. Knappe Mehrheit stimmt für den Haushalt................................................................................................................... 1 2. Unter Spionageverdacht in Istanbul.............................................................................................................................. 2 3. Pegasus auch in den palästinensischen Gebieten...................................................................................................... 4 4. Medienquerschnitt........................................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Knappe Mehrheit stimmt für den Haushalt Mit knapper Mehrheit von den Stimmen dreier Par­lamentarier_innen verabschiedete die israelische Knesset den Haushalt für das Jahr 2022. Auch dem Haushalt für das laufende Jahr stimmten die Abge­ordneten kurz zuvor zu. Die Regierung unter Minis­terpräsident Naftali Bennett von der ultrarechten Yamina-Partei hat damit eine weitere wichtige Hürde genommen. Stichtag für den Haushalt 2021 war der 14. November. Ein Scheitern hätte die automatische Auflösung der Knesset bedeutet und Neuwahlen innerhalb von 90 Tagen. Zuletzt hatte die Knesset einen Haushalt im März 2018 für das Jahr 2019 verabschiedet. Seither wurde das Land jeweils auf Basis das Vorjahreshaushalts regiert. A budget that will be good for Israel The 2022 budget is an outstanding one. It is accom­panied by an unprecedented“Arrangements Law,” which contains 27 reforms. If executed as proposed, these reforms will change the direction of the econ­omy and drive it forward.(…) The current Arrange­ments Law spans all walks of life: It raises the re­tirement age of women to 65, a move driven by necessity(…); a reform in the Standards Institute that will expose the economy to competing imports, driving prices down; the promotion of urban renewal to increase the supply of apartments, as part of a plan for tearing down older buildings and building new ones in which occupants get new apartments; the cancellation of pension-geared bonds, which will lead to large budgetary savings; impo sing“ conges­tion fees” on drivers e ntering Tel Aviv to alleviate traffic jams; starting the construction of a light rail system in the metropolitan Tel Aviv area; contending with bureaucratic excess; managerial flexibility in the school system, which will allow principals to run their schools; easy transition between banks, aimed at reducing interest rates and commissions; and privat­ization of kashrut regulation. All these reforms will lead to growth, employment and a rise in living standards.(…) Obviously, legislating reforms is not enough. Also needed is political stability that will buy time to allow the implementation of these reforms. The last thing the economy needs now is another election. Editorial, HAA, 03.11.21 With new state budget, Israel finally frees itself from economic uncertainty (…) After 22 months without a budget or thorough economic plan, and nearly 44 months since the approval of the last spending bill, a specter of gloom and vitriol haunts the Knesset's halls.(…) Israel is set to do away with the negligent administration of the former prime minister, which for two years and amid a global recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic, refused to pass a budget.(...) If the bill fails to pass in the plenum, the coalition has ten days to reintroduce the bill. And now we reach the NIS 609 billion question: Is this budget good for Israel? First, just the sheer fact that a budget is 1