Israel delays budget deadline, avoiding another snap election

Israel's feuding government leaders avoided on Monday plunging the country into its fourth election in less than two years, postponing a deadline for passage of a national budget.

Parliament ratified the postponement in a vote just hours before the original deadline had been due to expire at midnight.

The delay will give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main coalition partner, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, more time to resolve the dispute that has weighed on a power-sharing accord they reached after an election in March, which followed inconclusive ballots in April 2019 and September 2019.