Israeli Politicsupdated 8m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 13 April 2016Netanyahu’s Bloc Tops Israel Election With 53 Seats, Deadlock Blocks Government Formation
16 Other8 Western Mainstream3 West Asian1 IsraeliPhoto: revi, CC BY 2.0 kr · Cropped for layout
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Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority. Eisenkot-led opposition captured 48 seats; Arab parties won 19.
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Netanyahu edges, deadlock persists
Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc topped Israel’s election results with 53 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc won 48 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving neither side with the 61-seat majority required to form a government. The election commission certified that the result was official after counting all votes on Friday, and the Central Election Commission said the final results would be officially presented to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday.
“Israel has a unique historic opportunity, in cooperation with our main partner Trump, to eliminate the existential Iranian threat completely.”
Al-Hurra said Netanyahu told his supporters early Wednesday that "Israel has a unique historic opportunity, in cooperation with our main partner Trump, to eliminate the existential Iranian threat completely." DIE WELT said the kingmaker could be the Israeli-Arab parties, which secured 19 seats together, as coalition negotiations threatened to drag on for weeks if talks failed.
Accusations and coalition math
Likud amplified allegations that Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election, and PBS said the party claimed the alleged interference was "aimed at facilitating a foreign takeover of the Knesset, the Islamization of Israel and toppling of the right wing government." Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of delegitimizing the vote, and Al Jazeera reported that Eisenkot pledged "not to ally himself or get into a partnership with the Palestinian Israeli parties."
The dispute intensified as the election commission asked the intelligence service to investigate allegations that Raam had received funds from Qatar, and DIE WELT said the election commission had asked the intelligence service to investigate on Wednesday evening. Dean Livne, the acting director-general of the election commission, tried to defuse tensions by calling the claims "completely groundless," while Shin Bet said its investigation was ongoing and not about "accusing an entire community that voted democratically and legally."
What comes next for Israel
President Isaac Herzog will begin talks with party leaders after receiving the final results, and DIE WELT said he would then appoint one of them to form the government. CNN said Israel could face weeks, possibly months, of political limbo, and it warned that if party leaders cannot figure it out in the 12 weeks available, Israelis would be back at the polls.
“Israel faces weeks, possibly months, of political limbo after final results show there’s no clear winner in its elections.”
Al Jazeera said Eisenkot met Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan to discuss ways to form a new government "as quickly as possible," while Al Jazeera also reported that all other political groups rejected a coalition with parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel. The stakes for Netanyahu’s Iran posture remained central as Al-Hurra described Netanyahu’s calculations after the election and said the prime minister hinted at the possibility of striking Iran again, with Michael Koplow arguing that a caretaker prime minister status does not, in itself, impose constraints preventing action against Iran.