Elections
Israel Election Ends in Deadlock, No Bloc Near Majority
Israel’s October 27 election ended in a political stalemate, with exit polls showing neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, securing the 61 seats needed to form a majority government. Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 50 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc took 52 to 53, according to multiple Israeli media outlets. Arab parties, including the Joint List and Raam, were projected to win 17 to 18 seats combined, their strongest showing in Israeli history.