Eisenkot Faces Coalition Choices After Israeli Vote

Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot face difficult mathematical choices after Tuesday's election in Israel. Neither side has secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The result forces political leaders to decide whether to form a new government or trigger another vote.

With 88% of ballots counted, Netanyahu's Likud party holds 20.7% of the vote. Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party trails at 16.2%. Arab-led parties have secured 15% of the total. Local media projections place Likud and its allies at 53 seats. Yashar and its partners stand at 48 seats. The Arab-led bloc holds 19 seats.

Elad Naveh, the control manager at the Central Elections Committee, stated that counting absentee ballots will continue until Thursday evening. Approximately half a million military and diplomatic ballots remain to be tallied. Naveh said these votes are unlikely to change the overall outcome. Voter turnout reached nearly 78%, the highest level since 1999.

Netanyahu warned against forming a "dangerous government" that includes Arab parties. His party claimed the vote was "stolen" by Arab-led groups and asked authorities to investigate. The elections committee reported fewer irregularities than in previous cycles. Eisenkot has left the door open to partnering with Arab parties if they recognize Israel as a Jewish state and Hamas as an extremist group.

President Isaac Herzog is not required to task the leader of the largest party with forming a government. He said on Wednesday that he would do everything possible to avoid another round of elections. Herzog noted that the president has discretion in selecting who attempts to build a coalition first.

Arab-led parties achieved a historic showing in this election. Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, declared that his party is no longer on the sidelines. The party briefly joined a governing coalition in 2021. Yair Golan, whose Democrats party supports an alliance with Arab parties, said Israelis must stop being afraid. He criticized Netanyahu's division of Jewish and Arab votes.

If no majority coalition forms, new elections could be held early next year. Israel held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 due to similar stalemates. Eisenkot told supporters that it would be a mistake to hold another vote after such high turnout. He said it is his personal duty to respect the will of the people. Minority governments are also possible but require cooperation from outside parties to pass laws.

Hanna Doukhan, a voter in Tel Aviv, said she sees no possibility of forming a government without the Arabs. Eti Wissotzky-Cohen in Tel Aviv expressed hope that such an alliance could repair society while preserving Israel as the national home of the Jewish people. Awni Zoabi in Nazareth thanked God for a return to rationality. He noted that Arabic language has been treated as a crime in some circles.