Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition secured 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, according to the final results, while the Arab parties saw a significant increase, winning 19 seats. Difficult negotiations to form a government
are now ahead. The right-wing coalition, the far-right, and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took first place following this week’s elections, though it is far from securing a majority in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, as confirmed by the official final results released today, paving the way for negotiations to form the next governing coalition, which are expected to be difficult.
The outgoing right-wing and far-right coalition holds 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. Israeli Prime Minister Likud remains the largest party, with 27 seats.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
On the other hand, the opposition alliance led by centrist Gadi Eizenkot has secured 48 seats, according to results released by the Israeli Election Commission overnight from Thursday to Friday.
Tuesday’s election was the first to be held since the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. They were marked by a turnout much higher than usual—the highest since 1999 (77%).
Notably, they were also characterized by a dramatic increase in the strength of the two Arab factions, Ram and the United List, which will hold 19 seats in the new Knesset and have consequently emerged as potential kingmakers in political developments.
These parties came under fire yesterday amid allegations of electoral fraud from Mr. Netanyahu’s political camp. Officials and media outlets claimed that they received funds from the Emirate of Qatar to buy votes.
This Gulf state often serves as a bogeyman for the Israeli political establishment. During the campaign, the opposition accused Mr. Netanyahu and his inner circle of having ties to Doha. The emirate is reportedly a financier of Hamas—it has hosted the political leadership of the Palestinian Islamist movement for decades.
Both Doha and the Arab parties rejected the allegations of fraud.
Mr. Eizenkot accused Mr. Netanyahu of attempting to “delegitimize the results” of the vote.
The internal security and counterintelligence agency, Shin Bet, stated that it would conduct an investigation into the suspected irregularities, while hastening to assure the public that its aim is not to “incriminate an entire community that voted democratically and lawfully.”
These tensions threaten to plunge Israel into a political crisis in the midst of the war in the Middle East — in the context of which Mr. Netanyahu has threatened to launch a new military offensive against Iran.
Political Maneuvering
Without explicitly referring to the accusations made by the prime minister’s faction against the Arab parties, the election committee yesterday described as “completely baseless” certain “reports” that had “circulated.”
The final and official results will be delivered to President Isaac Herzog, who is expected to begin consultations with the leaders of the parties that will be represented in the next Knesset and then appoint a prime minister-designate.
The lack of a majority foreshadows difficult negotiations, which could last for weeks. If efforts to form a government fail, new elections may need to be held, as has happened repeatedly in Israel’s political history.
The resulting landscape reflects, if nothing else, the country’s division, which deepened after the attack on October 7, 2023—the trigger for the war in the Gaza Strip— the heavy shadow of which loomed over this process.
Moreover, the vote took place against a backdrop of intensifying international criticism regarding the conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip, settler violence, and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank during the tenure of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history.
Meetings
Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats (center-left), met yesterday with Gadi Eizenkot. “The survival of Israel is at stake,” he commented after the meeting. He also met with Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ram party, who is considered a pragmatist, and another opposition leader, Yair Lapid.
For its part, the United Torah Judaism party (ultra-Orthodox) reportedly proposed to support Mr. Eisenkot, according to ynet, the online edition of Yedioth Ahronoth. However, it set as a condition the passage of a law that would exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service.
Mr. Eizenkot, however, emphasized during the election campaign that his intention is for ultra-Orthodox Jews to serve in the army as well.
Source: APE-MPE
