Israeli Elections
With the bloc in place, the only options are “a government with me as prime minister or a dangerous government that leans on the Arab parties,” says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
With neither the pro-Netanyahu nor anti-Netanyahu camp having a clear majority, party leaders will need to put egos and pledges aside to cross bloc lines and create a functioning government.
“The nation of Israel is smarter than its leaders, and the nation voted for unity,” says Israel Democracy Institute vice president Yedidia Stern.
According to results published by Israel’s Central Election Committee, the Joint Arab List has 13 seats, while Yisrael Beitienu stands at 9.
“We have to keep promises made to the electorate,” says Yamina Party leader Ayelet Shaked, “but we also need to see what’s right for the State of Israel, the ideological right and religious Zionism.”
Joint Arab List leaders jubilant after exit polls show the alliance winning as many as 15 seats • Tibi: List will “make a responsible decision” regarding who to recommend to form a government.
“We’re still waiting for the results. But one thing is clear, the State of Israel is at a historic turning point. We are facing immense opportunities, and immense challenges, including the existential threat from Iran,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As senior Blue and White Party member Zvi Hauser told JNS: “There are 200,000 projectiles in the north; war almost erupted in Gaza, there is a 50 billion shekel deficit. There’s no choice but a unity government.”
With exit polls showing Likud, and Blue and White, facing no clear path to a governing majority, many see Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman as a potential “kingmaker”—key to avoiding a third election.
Overall, the biggest theme of the exit polls is that neither the right-wing/religious bloc nor the center-left bloc have enough seats to form a governing coalition at 61 without the support of former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party.
Sports and Culture Minister Miri Regev referenced 2009 as an example of how the political picture can change drastically.
Responding to the exit polls, Blue and White Knesset Member and former Tel Aviv deputy mayor Asaf Zamir told JNS, “We are cautious and we have learned from the past, we are waiting for real results. But if these are the indications of the trend, Bibi Netanyahu failed, for the second time.”
