Coalition leaders celebrated this morning, Nov. 4, after the Knesset approved most of the legislation proposals related to the 2021 state budget. A few remaining items are set for a vote at the Knesset this afternoon, essentially for the approval of the 2022 budget. The 2021-2022 budget as a whole is expected to be completely approved by tomorrow, before the beginning of the Sabbath. A majority of 61 Knesset members voted in favor for the 2021 budget, against 59 who objected.

With this, the coalition would have completed the task of passing the 2021 budget 10 days ahead of the Nov. 14 deadline. The government had scheduled the Knesset debate and voting on the budget several days ahead of the Nov. 14 deadline to reserve time to find solutions if any coalition members defected and voted against the budget.

Israeli law treats approval of the budget as a confidence vote in the government, so by passing the budget this week, the coalition has averted the threat of early elections. Failure to pass the budget would have meant the automatic dismissal of the Knesset and the fall of the government.

Israel had been governed without a budget for more than three years. The country had seen four rounds of elections during the political stalemate, blocking the government from passing a majority-backed budget. The 609 billion-shekel ($194 billion) spending plan for 2021 is the first budget passed by the Knesset since March 2018 and ends three and a half years of budgetary and political instability.