As votes are tallied, Israel finds itself in a tricky situation with both

As votes are tallied, Israel finds itself in a tricky situation with both the right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition led by Gaddi Eisentein failing to secure enough seats in parliament to create a government.

The initial results show Netanyahu’s bloc will gain 53 seats out of 120 in the Knesset, giving him a good chance of winning. The opposition led by Eisenstein will gain 48 seats. However, neither side have gained the 61 seats needed to win a majority in parliament. Arab-led parties are predicted to gain 19 seats between them, giving them significant influence over the next government.

Netanyahu in a strong position

Although Netanyahu has not gained a majority in parliament, he has come out of the election in a much stronger position than some initial exit polls suggested. Netanyahu and his allies, including the right, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties seem to have gained the largest block of seats in parliament, meaning he has a chance to gain another term.

However, Netanyahu will need to negotiate with other parties. He has said he wants to create a strong right-wing government, but could struggle to convince more politicians to join his coalition.

Gaddi Eisenstein faces a tough situation

Eisenstein, the former head of the Israeli military and leader of the centrist party Yashar, is looking set to be Netanyahu’s main opponent. The opposition want to bring change to politics, hold those responsible for the security issues in October accountable and reform military service.

However, Eisenstein faces a tricky situation. To gain a majority in parliament he will need to work with Arab-led parties, however this could turn off some politicians from the Jewish opposition. It will be hard to create a stable government.

Arab parties could have significant influence

One of the key aspects of the election is how well the Arab-led parties will do. They are predicted to gain 19 seats between them and could influence who comes into power.

They may be able to gain the support of these parties to take on Netanyahu, however they may need to compromise. Netanyahu has also said he does not want to rely on the Arab-led parties to keep his government running. This limits his options.

The results will depend on how many seats each party gain and if the party leaders are willing to compromise.

What happens next?

The special votes remaining to be counted, including votes from soldiers, diplomats and others, could influence the results, however initial reports show that neither side will easily gain a majority. Once the official results are out, President Isaac Herzog will meet with the party leaders.

There are a few possible outcomes. A Netanyahu-led coalition could be formed, a new government could be created with Eisenstein at the centre with enough votes in parliament, or a unity government could be formed. If no deal can be reached then there could be another election.

Conclusion

Overall the Israeli election has left a lot of uncertainty. Neither side can comfortably run the country. Netanyahu is still a strong contender whilst Eisenstein faces the challenge of creating a realistic alternative. The Arab-led parties may hold the key to gaining power due to their large amount of seats. Coalition talks will influence Israel’s future.



The final results and the negotiation will decide if Israel will see a new political setup, a larger unity government or further uncertainty.