Netanyahu holds on as Israel election ends in deadlock

Benjamin Netanyahu won the support of an unexpectedly clear majority of Israeli Jews in an election billed as a major turning point in his nation’s history, apparently ensuring he will survive as prime minister at least in a caretaker role. With around 70. 7% of votes tallied on Wednesday morning, Israeli media forecast Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties winning 54 seats in parliament, far surpassing 47 for the opposition bloc of rival Gadi Eisenkot. Parties representing Israelis of Arab descent would win 19. The results could still change as counting continued, but a victory for Eisenkot appeared increasingly out of reach, as his bloc of anti-Netanyahu parties from centre-left to hard-right underperformed pre-election polls that forecast a tight race.

While Netanyahu lost his bloc’s majority in the 120-seat Knesset, as expected, opponents were left with no hope of unseating him without some form of backing of Arab parties, which many have ruled out. Even then, he would remain as caretaker during any coalition negotiations, or until a new election next year. Netanyahu calls for right-wing government Netanyahu, addressing his Likud party’s faithful after 3 a. m. (0100 GMT) at the party’s election headquarters in Jerusalem, called for the formation of “a strong, right-wing national government”. He also highlighted Israel’s military successes and raised the prospect of renewed joint military action against Iran alongside his ally, US President Donald Trump. “Israel faces a singular historical opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all. But ulterior motives must not divert us from this sacred mission,” he said. Trump, who had called on Israeli voters to keep Netanyahu in…