Star Metro - Israel president urges against new vote despite inconclusive result

With more than 85 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc was slightly ahead but still short of a majority in Tuesday's election, the first since the October 7, 2023 attack that led Israel to wage war in Gaza and across the region.

Both Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister who is allied with far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, and Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief leading a broad opposition bloc, said they would seek to form the next government.

But neither looks set to reach the 61-seat threshold, with Netanyahu's bloc projected to win 53 of the 120 seats in parliament and Eisenkot's opposition set for 48.

The final results could still change, but one place of clear gains was among Israeli Arab lists, which were set to jump to 19 seats.

"We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections," said President Isaac Herzog, who is tasked with determining which candidate to tap to form a government, and who urged parties to keep "an open mind".

Yousef Jabareen, head of the leftist Arab-majority Joint List, said the Israeli public had voted for new leadership and "anyone who wants to offer a substantive and genuine alternative to Netanyahu's blood-soaked government will have to talk to us".

"It's either the continuation of racism, the continuation of exclusion and the continuation of supremacy, or a genuine Jewish-Arab partnership," he said.

Voters from the Arab community, descendants of Palestinians who stayed after Israel's creation and make up around 20 percent of the population, have been enraged by the Netanyahu government's ultra-nationalist Jewish vision for the country and the Palestinian territories.

Eisenkot has resisted allying with Arab parties.

Netanyahu during the campaign relentlessly attacked the opposition by saying it would put Arabs in power, running on the slogan: "Either the Right or Palestine."

Yair Golan, the head of Israel's main left-wing party and a member of Eisenkot's camp, became its first to call for an alliance with the Arab lists.

"We must no longer accept Netanyahu's racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes," Golan said in a social media post.

But Eisenkot's camp also includes right-wingers who share many of Netanyahu's hawkish views and have adamantly rejected working with Arab lawmakers.

Arab lawmakers could also give Eisenkot support in parliamentary votes on an ad hoc basis, enabling him to maintain a minority government without joining a coalition, although few observers believe such an arrangement would survive for long.

- Iran conflict -

A lack of a clear majority for either camp could mean weeks spent trying to cobble together coalitions, with new elections a possibility if negotiations fail.

"Maybe everybody lost in these elections but the Arab parties. And for the Arab parties, it's unclear that they can make use of their huge success," Hebrew University of Jerusalem political scientist Gideon Rahat said.

A stalemate could in the immediate term benefit Netanyahu, who would remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.

Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot appeared to indicate another factor was on the horizon -- a Israeli attack alongside the United States on Iran.

Netanyahu ordered bombing campaigns against Iran both last year and earlier this year, reluctantly stopping only after President Donald Trump reached a now-moribund ceasefire.

In the days leading up to the election, Netanyahu repeatedly called for the overthrow of Iran's government. News reports, which Netanyahu denied, said military top brass pushed back on his plans for pre-election action.

Trump has said that the United States is no longer negotiating with Iran but will not attack until after next Tuesday's US midterm elections.

Speaking at a rally, Netanyahu said that Israel had a "unique opportunity" with Trump to "forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran".

Eisenkot in a post-election appearance warned Israel's security chiefs that they must serve the national interest and not the political needs of Netanyahu, whom he called a caretaker premier "without a mandate".

"Netanyahu, don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs," Eisenkot said.

- 'An even worse leader' -

All eyes will be on Herzog, who has reportedly supported a unity government, which could take on more urgency if Netanyahu attacks Iran, although Eisenkot has publicly ruled out serving with him.

Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister on and off for more than 19 years, has divided Israeli society.

Facing criminal charges over corruption that he denies, he has sought to revamp the judiciary.

He has also allied with far-right champions of extremist settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank with virtual impunity.

"Our fear is that these elections might result in the emergence of an even worse leader and those who are more violent and bloodthirsty," displaced Gazan Huda al-Houli told AFP.

O.Gauthier--SMC