Finance Minister: ‘Threat of elections has passed’

Finance Minister Israel Katz of the Likud party says the threat of another round of elections has passed.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White parties, the two key coalition partners, have been at an impasse over the state budget.

The stalemate left the government teetering toward a dreaded fourth national vote in under two years.

“The danger of elections has passed, and at the moment it’s only a matter of [finalizing] agreements. The two sides understand that there aren’t [going to be] elections,” Katz tells Channel 12.

Earlier, Channel 12 reported that Sunday’s cabinet meeting will be canceled due to disagreements between the parties for the second week in a row, in a sign of major coalition strife.

The network also reported that the two factions were inching closer to an agreement, however.