Israeli polls show no bloc near a Knesset majority

Final pre-election polls in Israel project that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition nor the Jewish opposition bloc will win the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, leaving the shape of the next government uncertain. Israel’s election is scheduled for October 27, and the projections are estimates, not results. Three television surveys published before the vote put Netanyahu’s coalition at 50 seats in each poll and the opposition bloc at between 52 and 56. Arab parties were listed separately, with projections of 14 to 16 seats. The surveys therefore show no clear majority for either of the main blocs, though their differing estimates leave room for varied coalition arithmetic. A separate poll published four days before the election projected 54 seats for the Jewish opposition bloc, 48 for Netanyahu’s bloc and 14 for Arab parties. It surveyed 580 people and reported a 3.7-percentage-point margin of error. The variation between polls underscores that the seat counts are forecasts rather than a settled distribution. The election will decide all 120 Knesset seats. Under Israel’s parliamentary system, the prime minister is not elected directly by voters; a...