Israel Election Leaves Netanyahu and Eisenkot Blocs Short of a Majority

The Israel election result is a deadlock. With the count complete, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot has 48, and the Arab parties have 19. A majority needs 61 seats, and neither side is close.

The Israel election result is provisional until the Central Elections Committee certifies it, which is expected in the coming days. Netanyahu stays on as caretaker prime minister while parties negotiate over who can form a government.

The Arab parties’ 19 seats make them a pivotal force, and the opposition is weighing how to deal with them. Eisenkot has met Naftali Bennett to discuss forming a government as quickly as possible. Yair Golan, who leads the Democrats, is the only opposition figure open to a coalition that includes Arab-led parties, and he has also met Mansour Abbas of the Ra’am party.

Netanyahu’s Likud has promoted unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties “stole” the vote, possibly with foreign help. Those claims have been rejected. Noam Sohlberg, who heads the Central Elections Committee, said he received a letter raising “serious suspicions” of foreign interference. He said he could not verify them and asked the Shin Bet security service to investigate. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of trying to delegitimise the Israel election result.

Once the results are certified, President Isaac Herzog is expected to consult party leaders on who should try to form the next government. Coalition talks are expected to be difficult, and the Israel election result could leave the country in political limbo for weeks.

Source: Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel