Israel’s election leaves Netanyahu without a clear path to power

Israel’s inconclusive October 27 election has left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without a clear route to form a government, while results in the US midterms have weakened his argument that his leadership guarantees strong ties with Washington. The political consequences of the American vote for Israel’s coalition process or US policy remain uncertain. Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc won 53 seats in Israel’s parliament, eight short of the 61 needed for a majority. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties held 19 and said they would support Eisenkot for prime minister. Opposition leaders have rejected a unity government with Netanyahu. President Isaac Herzog had not nominated a politician to form a government in the reports. United Torah Judaism, a longtime ally of Netanyahu, declined to recommend either him or anyone else, weakening his position in the coalition negotiations. The Arab-led parties’ support for Eisenkot could help his bloc, though the reports do not establish that he can assemble a governing majority. The US midterm results have given Netanyahu’s domestic rivals another argument against his leadership. He has presented his...