Israel Election Live: With Nearly 90 Percent of Vote Counted, Netanyahu Lacks Clear Path to Majority

[brooklynite]

Source: Haaretz

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud has emerged as the largest party with the majority of the vote counted in Israel's unprecedented fourth election in two years. However, Netanyahu still does not have a clear path to a 61-seat majority needed to form a coalition. The vote count is expected to continue through Friday.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc, a motley crew of left, right and centrist factions, was also just shy of a majority. The Islamist United Arab List party, headed by Mansour Abbas, and Naftali Bennett's Yamina have not yet declared their support for either bloc.

Read more: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/with-nearly-90-percent-of-vote-netanyahu-denied-clear-path-to-majority-1.9649712

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Bring on election number five...

[hlthe2b]

1. How many times have we been told that after how many Israeli elections...?

They must love their corrupt-as-hell Likudist Trump-wannabe, as he always seems to pull it out. What happened to his corruption trial?

[brooklynite]

2. The problem isn't that they "love" Netanyahu...

...it's that the opposition doesn't share any position other than hating Netanyahu and is fractured among multiple Parties that range from far right to far left. As for his corruption trial, he has immunity as long as he serves as PM.

[karynnj]

7. It is amazing that either side could produce the least stable Israeli government yet

If the numbers hold, Netanyahu would either need people to desert their party or to include the smaller Arab party, which did not rule him out. However, the rest of that coalition is more far right than ever even including Jewish supremists (a term I never heard before this election - though it accurately describes the . Kahanists. How that works is beyond me - how do you keep any Arabs if you push the basic law, annexation or even approving more Jewish building in the occupied territories?

Yet, there are reports that some of the anti Netanyahu coalition would also refuse to be in a government with the Arabs. So, that side - even if the small Arab party and joint list voted for them - could also fail to come together.

After earlier elections, it seemed to me as an outsider, that Israel has a very large right wing majority - divided most by whether they support Netanyahu. The "simple" answer seemed that someone else leading Likud would be a shoo in. Yet, when Sa'ar left Likud to form New Hope - very few left Netanyahu and joined Sa'ar.

As a non orthodox, politically liberal Jew, the sad thing is recognizing that the problem is not just Netanyahu, but the fact that Israel has moved to become an authoritarian, right wing country - in effect making a different choice of which of the three characteristics they were willing to sacrifice than we probably naively expected. For decades, the American non orthodox community considered it a no brainer that the two state solution which takes being a Jewish majority state and being a democracy and sacrifices having all the land. The path Likud and the right wing coalition are on sacrifices democracy (and human rights for Arabs in the occupied territories).

(An interesting question is whether the Republicans will face the same dilemma with Trump or a Trump accolade keeping the party from getting a more centrist nominee.)

[Wolf Frankula]

3. He'll find coalition whore parties to make a majority.

He always does.

Wolf

[brooklynite]

4. No, he doesn't

That's why the Government keeps collapsing requiring new elections.

[question everything]

5. And, in contrast to this country, final results will have to include the ballot boxes from jails

450,000 votes cast by those unable to visit their polling place, like soldiers and prisoners, remain uncounted

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/.premium-israel-election-counting-of-sealed-ballots-expected-to-be-completed-thursday-1.9651111

[LiberalFighter]

8. My feeling is that the majority of the soldiers will vote for him unfortunately.

[Roc2020]

6. There will another one

before the year is out