By Basant El-Faramawy
With 91% of votes counted, Israeli election results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc projected at 53 seats, opponent Gadi Eisenkot's bloc at 48, and Palestinian parties on track for a record 19 seats. No bloc reaches the 61-seat majority needed in the Knesset.
Absentee Ballots Unlikely to Change Outcome
The final tally of absentee ballots is not expected to significantly shift the results, leaving Israel facing weeks of uncertainty as both sides try to gather enough support to form a government.
Coalition Talks Set to Begin Thursday
Yair Golan, leader of the centre-left Democrats and a junior partner in Eisenkot's bloc, will meet Eisenkot and Yair Lapid, the number-two in the opposition B'Yachad party, on Thursday for coalition talks. Golan has been the only opposition leader so far backing cooperation with parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Protesters Demand Joint Government
Left-wing protesters blocked roads in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening to demand a joint government of Palestinians and Jewish Israelis.
Herzog Urges Avoiding Second Election
President Isaac Herzog voiced hope that the country could avoid another round of elections, urging parties to keep an open mind as he determines which candidate to tap to form a government.
Netanyahu's Fate Tied to Opposition Alliances
Netanyahu's political future now depends on whether opposition Jewish parties are prepared to forge a common front with Palestinian parties, whose support surged in Tuesday's vote. Eisenkot faces a clear choice: either make a pact with Arab Israeli parties or hand Netanyahu a political lifeline through new elections or a unity government.
Joint List Sets Conditions for Cooperation
Yousef Jabareen, head of the Arab-majority Joint List, said the Israeli public had voted for new leadership and that any genuine alternative to Netanyahu's government must engage with them. He told AFP he was willing to cooperate with an opposition-led government to unseat Netanyahu but not to join such a coalition outright.
Minority Government Seen as Unstable
The ad hoc support of Palestinian lawmakers could enable Eisenkot to maintain a minority government, although few observers believe such an arrangement would survive for long.
Likud Challenges Election Integrity
Israel's Central Elections Committee said it had received a Likud party complaint alleging that Arab parties had compromised election integrity and would examine the claims as part of its routine post-election review. Netanyahu's party accused Arab-led parties of "stealing" the election without evidence and demanded that police and the Shin Bet security service investigate.
UN Rights Chief Calls for Policy Shift
UN rights chief Volker Turk said he hopes the next Israeli government will "change course massively" and respect international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law.
