Israel’s parliament narrowly approved a state budget on Thursday, the country’s first in more than three years, removing an imminent threat to the survival of the government and potentially paving the way to some political stability after a chaotic stretch of four elections within two years. “A holiday for the state of Israel!” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett exulted on Twitter shortly after the pre-dawn vote. “We are moving ahead with full force.”
But the razor-thin majority eked out by Bennett’s coalition raised questions about its long-term prospects and whether Israel has truly emerged from years of political morass. The previous parliament dispersed late last year after it failed to meet the deadline for approving a budget for 2020.