Israel’s tight parliamentary race remains undecided as absentee ballots—accounting for a fraction of the estimated half-million cast—favor incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, though final results could still shift. With Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar trailing behind the Together alliance of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, his chances of toppling Netanyahu hinge on whether he can secure enough support from Palestinian-backed parties to form a coalition. Experts warn that even narrow margins may not be enough to alter the outcome, leaving Israel’s political future hanging on fragile alliance negotiations. The latest vote tallies reflect a deeply divided electorate, with far-right and centrist blocs locked in a battle over governance.
With the final count unlikely to shift results significantly, experts say Gadi Eisenkot’s hopes of unseating Benjamin Netanyahu rest on his willingness to work with Palestinian partiesFull report: Coalition talks loom in IsraelAnalysis: Israel’s choice: Netanyahu remaining in power or a Palestinian-backed coalitionIsraeli news website Ynet is reporting that just over 29,000 of the absentee ballots have been counted so far, out of an estimated 500,000.According to Ynet, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is leading among these ballots, with 18.5% of the votes of far. The Together alliance of Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid comes in second with 15.6%, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar is third, with 14.8%. Continue reading...
