Netanyahu Faces Weaker Coalition After Elections

“As Israeli voters turned out in far higher numbers than expected on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an urgent evening plea for support as his challengers anticipated results that could significantly weaken his power in the third term that he was widely expected to win,” the New York Times reports.

“While Mr. Netanyahu’s joint campaign list with the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu faction was still expected to win far more of Parliament’s 120 seats than the next-largest party, making him the likeliest candidate to lead the next government, a relatively weak showing and a surge for centrist and left-leaning parties could force him to moderate his policies and leave him with a fragile coalition of competing interests.”