Israel Faces Coalition Talks as 90% Count Leaves Netanyahu on 54 Seats, Short of 61
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Israel Faces Coalition Talks as 90% Count Leaves Netanyahu on 54 Seats, Short of 61
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 28
Summary
About 90% of ballots counted left Israel without a clear winner, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc on roughly 54 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s on about 49—both below the 61 needed for a Knesset majority.
Two Arab parties, projected to win as many as 19 seats, have emerged as potential kingmakers, but Eisenkot said he wants a Zionist government with universal conscription, effectively ruling out alliances with Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties.
The Joint List said it would do “everything in its power” to remove Netanyahu, signaling possible outside support for an anti-Netanyahu coalition even if it is not invited into government.
More than 400,000 special ballots from military bases, prisons and hospitals still must be counted before final results expected Thursday evening, after which President Isaac Herzog will decide who gets the first chance to form a government.
If coalition talks fail over the coming weeks, Israel could face another election, while Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister and opponents may still try to use the new Knesset to constrain his agenda.