Partial results from Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary election showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leading his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, in the official tally on Wednesday, Oct. 28, but neither side appeared to have secured the 61 seats needed to form a government. The vote count was still underway, leaving coalition negotiations—and the final outcome—uncertain.
NPR reported that a majority of votes had been counted by Wednesday morning and Netanyahu was ahead of Eisenkot, while opposition groups collectively had more votes than Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc. The report said the result could lead to weeks of political gridlock as parties try to assemble a governing coalition.
The 120-seat Knesset requires a coalition of 61 lawmakers to form a government. ABC News reported that partial results indicated both major coalitions were short of that threshold, and Israel’s Central Elections Committee did not expect final results until Thursday. ABC also reported turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 1999, according to the committee.
Arab-led parties could have a role in coalition arithmetic. NPR reported that the United Arab List and the Joint List made a strong showing and could become kingmakers, although Netanyahu, Eisenkot and their allies have resisted partnering with them. Whether either bloc can form a government, and how the final count affects negotiations, remained unresolved as votes continued to be counted.
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