According to the latest exit polls from Israel’s parliamentary elections, neither the coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc has secured the 61-seat majority required to form a government.
Voter turnout in this election was robust, with approximately 80 percent of registered voters casting their ballots. Notably, about 80 percent of Arab voters also participated—a significant increase compared to 2022, when Arab parties collectively won only 10 seats. This surge is largely attributed to dissatisfaction with the policies of Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as the failure to address issues such as home demolitions and violence in Arab communities.
Exit polls suggest that Arab-led parties could secure 18 seats in the next Knesset (Israeli parliament).
Analysts note that, due to deep-seated political differences, neither Netanyahu nor his opposition rivals are willing to seek the support of these Arab parties to form a government. Leaders of all mainstream Israeli political parties have already made their positions on this matter clear.
Given this impasse, the process of forming a government will ultimately depend on political bargaining. Under existing rules, once the final election results are announced, the President of Israel will invite the party leader deemed most likely to secure a majority in a Knesset vote of confidence to form a government. The designated candidate will then be granted a specific timeframe to negotiate with other parties, reach agreements on seat allocations, and attempt to assemble a functional coalition government.
However, the options for forming a coalition—both for Netanyahu and his opponents—are extremely limited. Consequently, it appears that Israeli politics will face a prolonged and complex period of uncertainty until the final votes are counted and the President decides whom to task with forming the next government.
Source: Al Jazeera
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Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
