Israeli Parliament passes budget for the first time in three years, clearing key hurdle

Failure to pass the budget by November 14 would have brought down the government that was sworn into office in June

Israel's Parliament passed a national budget for the first time in three years early on Thursday, avoiding a November deadline that would have triggered fresh elections.

The marathon overnight voting on budget bills in the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, was a major hurdle for the new government headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose fractious coalition holds a narrow majority.