Arab parties won 18 seats, tightening Israel coalition math
Why it matters: Neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot reached the 61 seats needed to govern, giving Arab parties leverage.
Israeli Arab parties were on track to nearly double their strength in parliament to 18 seats after Oct. 27 voting, according to exit polls, putting them in a pivotal position as Israel’s next government takes shape. Exit polls showed Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc at 52 seats and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing religious alliance at 50 in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving both short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government. That result could push Eisenkot to seek support from Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, and possibly the Joint List from outside a coalition as negotiations begin.
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Earlier in this story
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