The Times of Israel reports: The Knesset passed the state’s budget for 2019 in the early hours of Thursday, closing out the parliament’s winter term just over a day after the coalition managed to solve a crisis that nearly saw the government fall and new elections called.
The vote on the budget sailed through 62-54, after the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Shas parties in the coalition agreed to support it in exchange for the passage on preliminary reading of a separate measure allowing Haredi men to avoid conscription into the Israel Defense Forces.
The enlistment measure was fiercely opposed by Yisrael Beytenu, led by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) had threatened to quit the government if the budget was not given the okay by March 15.
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