Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that he had accepted a proposal to extend budget negotiations, preventing the government from collapsing and plunging the country into a new election.

In a nationally televised address, Netanyahu said that now was not the time to drag the country into a fourth parliamentary election in less than two years.

“Now is the time for unity. Not for elections,” he said.

Netanyahu said that following a historic agreement to establish official relations with the United Arab Emirates, and with the country struggling with a coronavirus outbreak, he felt it was wrong to go to elections.

He said he accepted a compromise that would give the sides an additional 100 days to reach a budget deal, and in the meantime direct spending to struggling areas of the economy and society.

Derech Eretz MK Zvi Hauser’s compromise bill was approved at a meeting of the Finance Committee overnight Sunday.

The meeting was headed by MK Yitzchak Pindrus (UTJ) in the absence of Finance Committee Chairman Moshe Gafni (UTJ), who is recovering from a heart catheterization he underwent last week.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem & AP)