Israel’s election has ended without a clear winner, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in office as caretaker while coalition talks decide who can govern. With turnout at a record high and nearly 86 percent of votes tallied, broadcasters put Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties on course for 53 seats, ahead of rival Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc on 48.
Both camps fell short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, while parties representing Arab Israelis were projected to win 19 seats. That arithmetic means neither side can govern alone, and both would need partners who have so far refused to join them.
After formal final results are published next week, President Isaac Herzog will consult party representatives and tap the candidate judged most likely to form a government, with around 100 days for the process before another election becomes possible. Herzog has urged the parties to come with an open mind to avoid a fresh vote.
Sources: Reuters, Sunday Guardian. Written in our own words for information only.