Israel's Knesset has passed the first reading of the 2026 state budget after a crisis with ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) coalition partners was resolved, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government still needs two more approvals before March 31 to avoid an early election.
The first reading was approved on Wednesday by 62 votes in favour and 55 against, following a two-day delay in the Knesset, according to local media.
The delay stemmed from disagreements over a bill that would exempt yeshiva (Torah school) students from military service, despite demands by Haredi parties for a complete legal framework for exemptions.
The bill was supported by the Haredi Shas Party and the Degel HaTorah faction within the United Torah Judaism party, while Agudat Israel, the other Haredi faction within United Torah Judaism, opposed it.
Two more votes are required, and the government must obtain three parliamentary approvals for the budget by March 31. At least 60 days must elapse between the first and final votes.
Snap vote
If the budget fails to pass the Knesset in the March votes, early elections will be held within three months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity, said previously that holding elections now would be a "mistake."
Netanyahu's current term began with a controversial judicial overhaul plan that sparked months of mass protests, with tens of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets almost daily.
Opposition figures and families of captives also accused him of prolonging the genocide in Gaza for his own political survival.
Israel killed over 71,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 171,400 in its genocide in Gaza since October 2023.
