Israel Election Leaves Coalition Talks Uncertain

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc won 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats in Israel’s October 27 election, while Arab-led parties won a record 19; neither side secured the 61 seats needed for a majority. President Isaac Herzog is consulting party leaders on whom to task with forming a government; the Joint List said it would recommend opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, who is projected to receive recommendations from 67 lawmakers, though Herzog will choose the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a coalition. Netanyahu’s allies have alleged vote-buying, forged ballots and foreign interference without substantiation, while election officials found no irregularities that affected the result; a separate Shin Bet inquiry into alleged foreign interference continues, and has reportedly cited an influx of funds from foreign states without providing supporting evidence. Sara Netanyahu also alleged foreign interference, which Qatar denied. Opposition leaders have warned that the fraud claims threaten the election’s legitimacy and argued Netanyahu has damaged bipartisan U.S. support for Israel; Donald Trump said he would halt annual U.S. funding to Israel. Coalition formation may prove difficult, and another election could follow if no candidate succeeds.