TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s parliament on Tuesday passed a state budget, a move that shores up Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition and grants the embattled leader the chance at months of political stability even as public pressure mounts over the war in Gaza.
The budget vote was seen as a key test for Netanyahu’s coalition, which is made up of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties who had demanded and largely received hefty sums for their constituents in exchange for support for the funding package. By law, the government would fall and elections triggered if a budget weren’t passed by March 31.
With its passing, Netanyahu buys himself what’s likely to be more than a year of political quiet that could see his government coast through to the end of its term in late 2026, a rare occurrence in Israel’s fractious politics. It’s a political win for Netanyahu, who faces mass protests over his decision to resume the war in Gaza while hostages still remain in Hamas’ hands, and over his government’s recent moves to fire top legal and security chiefs.
The budget vote could also have implications on the war in Gaza. Netanyahu could feel free to move toward a lasting ceasefire with Hamas since his political allies, who oppose ending the war, have little incentive to trigger new elections while their polling numbers are down, said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
But the vote doesn’t mean Netanyahu will move in the direction to end the war, she said. She expected him to further his ultranationalist partners’ agenda to keep them as loyal allies and galvanize the nationalist right ahead of any future vote.
“Netanyahu is always thinking about the next elections,” Talshir said. “His goal is to make sure the extreme right will be in his government now and in the future.”
