Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scrambling seeking ways to retain power after fiercely contested elections yielded no clear winner.
Voters turned out in record numbers on Tuesday for a crucial election widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu, who has led Israel intermittently for over 19 years.
With nearly all ballots counted, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc holds a narrow lead over his challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but remains short of a parliamentary majority. Despite the stalemate, both leaders have claimed victory and declared their intention to form a governing coalition.
This deadlock could trigger weeks of intense coalition negotiations. In the short term, the impasse favors Netanyahu, who retains the prime ministership while negotiations continue.
The opposition could unseat the prime minister by partnering with Arab parties, whose unprecedented gains position them as potential kingmakers.
However, after relentlessly attacking Arab parties throughout the campaign, Netanyahu now accuses them of stealing the election and demands a formal investigation into unverified claims of foreign funding.
This deadlock could trigger weeks of intense coalition negotiations. In the short term, the impasse favors Netanyahu, who retains the prime ministership while negotiations continue.
The opposition could unseat the prime minister by partnering with Arab parties, whose unprecedented gains position them as potential kingmakers.
However, after relentlessly attacking Arab parties throughout the campaign, the Israeli PM now accuses them of stealing the election and demands a formal investigation into unverified claims of foreign funding.
Backstory…
The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack severely damaged Netanyahu’s reputation as a security-first leader, enabling Eisenkot to channel widespread public fury over the disaster during the campaign.
To counter this backlash, Netanyahu aggressively highlighted military victories against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and their patron Iran, while claiming an endorsement from Donald Trump.
At 77, the Prime Minister faces an ongoing corruption trial, an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, and a expanding multi-front war that has dragged on for over three years.
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