Netanyahu Rejects Arab Party Support As Israel Faces Coalition Deadlock
What Happened
With nearly 99% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc had 48, leaving both short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Arab-led parties were projected to win a record 19 seats. Netanyahu has ruled out cooperation with the Arab-led parties. Eisenkot has also so far ruled out including them in government, although his bloc could potentially seek their outside support for a minority government.
Key Takeaways
The election has produced a deadlock, and Netanyahu’s refusal to work with Arab parties makes the path to a stable majority government even narrower.