By Fatma Younis
Final results from Tuesday's Israeli parliamentary election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, maintaining its lead but falling short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government. The opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, according to official figures released Thursday by the Central Elections Committee after all votes were counted.
No Clear Path to Majority
Neither coalition has a clear path to a majority without the support of Arab-Israeli parties. The Arab-led Joint List, projected to win 12 seats, declared readiness for "political cooperation to oust the Netanyahu government." Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List (Ra'am) with a projected seven seats, said he has been in contact with representatives of both blocs.
Netanyahu Rules Out Arab Coalition
In his post-election speech, Netanyahu suggested any government including Arab parties would "endanger Israel." Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have previously ruled out forming a coalition with Arab parties. Opposition leaders condemned Netanyahu's remarks, maintaining the elections were free and fair with no evidence of fraud.
Election Committee Rejects Interference Claims
The Central Elections Committee stated the vote was conducted lawfully and there is no basis for claims of systematic interference. Acting director general Dean Livne said there was "no basis for allegations of election theft." Israeli police said they will investigate any credible allegations of wrongdoing. Eisenkot said he is focused on "bringing change to Israel" after a day of meetings following the results.
