Netanyahu and Opposition Fall Short of Israel Majority

Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot both fell short of a majority in Israel’s parliamentary election, leaving Arab parties with 19 seats and a potential role in coalition negotiations. The reported distribution gives Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats, the opposition 48 and Arab parties 19 in the 120-member Knesset. A majority requires 61 seats. The Central Elections Committee said it had completed counting special double-envelope ballots, but official results were still to be released. The results must be certified by November 4. The Committee’s reported count covered 12,644 polling stations and 5,589,836 votes, including 25,072 invalid ballots. Likud, Netanyahu’s party, was reported as the largest single party, with 27 seats. The seat totals remain subject to official certification. The figures leave both major blocs short of governing alone. Arab parties could provide the numbers for an opposition-backed government, either by joining a coalition or supporting it from outside. But such an arrangement faces political obstacles: several opposition figures had rejected or set conditions on cooperation with Arab parties during the campaign. Netanyahu’s bloc...