Israel Faces Weeks of Political Wrangling

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s electoral coalition opened a sizable lead over Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc with 85 percent of the vote counted,” Axios reports.

“But while Netanyahu outperformed exit polls, which had Eisenkot’s opposition coalition ahead, neither bloc will clear a 61-seat majority. That sets the stage for weeks of wrangling over the country’s next government.”

“Netanyahu will emerge from the election down but not out. His bloc is on pace to secure 53 seats — 11 fewer than he currently commands. But Eisenkot’s bloc trails with 48 seats, leaving both men without a clear mandate to lead a government.”