Arab parties could hold key as Netanyahu and Eisenkot set to fall short of victory
Summary
Partial election results show Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud as Israel’s largest party, but his bloc appears short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc also appears unlikely to win a majority without support from Arab-led parties, while absentee ballots remain uncounted.Key Facts
- Israel elects 120 members of parliament, and a government needs 61 seats for a majority.
- Early results put Netanyahu’s Likud ahead as the largest single party.
- Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties appears just short of a majority.
- Partial results suggest Eisenkot’s bloc also lacks a clear path to a majority without Arab-led parties.
- Most Jewish opposition parties said during the campaign that they would not work with Arab-majority lists.
- Arab Israelis make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population, and turnout among them appeared unusually high.
- Absentee ballots, mostly from soldiers, could affect the final count; results may take another day or two.
- Netanyahu and Eisenkot each told supporters they would work to form the next government.
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