Israel Passes Budget After 3.5 Years, Preventing Elections

By JPost
Posted on 11/04/21 | News Source: JPost

The Knesset passed the 2021 state budget into law in a 61-59 vote at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning, giving Israel a new budget for the first time since March 15, 2018.

When the vote was announced, coalition MKs applauded and embraced each other in joy. Following the vote, the MKs went to sleep for a few hours and will resume voting later Thursday on the Economic Arrangements Law and then, the 2022 budget.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praised the budget's passage, writing on Twitter that he was proud that Israel finally had a budget.

"Israeli citizens are waking up to a holiday," he wrote.

The budget needed to pass into law by November 14 to prevent the Knesset from being automatically dispersed, which would have initiated elections in February.