In late November, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu's office was working on a visit to the UAE and Bahrain after Hanukkah, which this year lasts from 10-18 December.
According to a prominent official from the prime minister's office, Netanyahu's trip had been postponed due to security concerns, per a request from the country's internal security agency Shin Bet, Haaretz reported.
If the national budget, which has so far been the key dispute between the Netanyahu-led ruling party Likud and the Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) alliance headed by Defence Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz, is not approved by 23 December, the parliament – Knesset – will be dissolved automatically.
Earlier in December, Gantz held a meeting with Finance Minister Israel Katz to discuss the matter in an attempt to avoid another round of elections, but the talks reportedly ended without any tangible results. Gantz's faction favours a biannual budget for 2020 and 2021, while Likud insists on an annual budget for 2020.
On Tuesday, veteran Likud member Gideon Saar announced his exit from the party, as he plans to establish a new faction ahead of a possible election campaign, saying that it "will run against Netanyahu for the premiership, with the intention of replacing him".
The current coalition government was sworn in May, ending the longest political deadlock in Israel's history. The latter resulted in three inconclusive elections in less than a year. Under the terms of the current coalition, Netanyahu is set to lead a unity government for 18 months before handing the office over to Gantz in November 2021.
With Israel trying to tackle its internal political issues, the international arena has become the central area for manoeuvre, as Israel has set a course for building relations with Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, who signed an agreement to normalise ties with the Jewish state on 15 September under the active mediation of the United States.
