Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party and its allies won 53 seats in Parliament, falling short of the outright majority needed to form a government. The main opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 48.

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Arab parties could hold the balance of power as rival blocs fall short of a majority, leaving coalition talks or fresh elections on the table.

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Israel faces difficult negotiations to form its next government after parliamentary election results left rival blocs short of a majority, with Arab parties potentially holding the key to breaking the deadlock.

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With 88.6% of the vote counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc held 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition camp led by centrist Gadi Eisenkot. Arab parties won a combined 19 seats, leaving neither side with the 61 needed for an absolute majority.

The Central Elections Committee is expected to publish the final results on Friday, after counting between 430,000 and 480,000 double-envelope ballots cast by military personnel, diplomatic staff, prisoners and people who are ill.

Once the results are official, President Isaac Herzog will ask the candidate he considers best placed to assemble a majority to form a government. The designated candidate will initially have 28 days to build a coalition, with the option of a 14-day extension.

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The negotiations could be protracted. Netanyahu took 58 days to form his current cabinet after the November 2022 election, and the latest results leave both camps facing obstacles to securing the support needed to govern.

Eisenkot has a relative advantage in seeking coalition partners, as smaller right-wing parties failed to clear the threshold required to enter parliament, limiting Netanyahu’s options for gaining additional seats.

Arab parties could prove decisive in the negotiations. Raam, led by Mansour Abbas, has signaled its willingness to open talks with Eisenkot’s bloc, while the Joint List has proposed providing a parliamentary “safety net” to any coalition that removes Netanyahu from power.

Opposition leaders have nevertheless been reluctant to enter formal agreements with Arab parties, given hostility toward such arrangements among substantial sections of the electorate. During the campaign, Netanyahu used the prospect of cooperation between his rivals and Arab parties to attack the opposition, describing it as an alliance of the “left and the Muslim Brotherhood” that would undermine state security.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats and the only Zionist political figure openly willing to include Arab parties in a governing arrangement, has convened talks with Eisenkot and Yair Lapid to discuss possible alliances.

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, has taken a different approach. He opposes both a minority government dependent on Arab parties and a cabinet headed by Netanyahu, preferring instead a national unity arrangement in which Eisenkot joins the incumbent prime minister.

Eisenkot has advocated a “Zionist mobilization government” as an alternative. In a social media post following the release of the initial projections, he wrote: “There are still long days of work ahead of us, but we are focused on the important task entrusted to us: bringing change to Israel and establishing a Zionist mobilization government.”

National unity or another election

A national unity government bringing together parties with a Zionist profile, while excluding Arab and ultra-religious parties, has been floated as another way out of the deadlock. A poll published in mid-October found that 55% of respondents preferred such an arrangement to holding another election.

The proposal faces significant political resistance. In 2020, Netanyahu and centrist Benny Gantz agreed to rotate the premiership under a power-sharing deal that collapsed after a year. Local media have reported behind-the-scenes efforts by Herzog to bring Netanyahu and Eisenkot closer, but the opposition has framed the election as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership.

If coalition talks fail, Israel could be forced to hold another election, repeating a cycle of political instability that saw four national votes between April 2019 and March 2021.

Alternative arrangements, including a minority government supported by individual lawmakers, could avert an immediate return to the polls. Until a new administration is formed, Netanyahu will remain in office in a caretaker capacity.

Entre la búsqueda de pactos de unidad, la reticencia a acordar con el sector árabe y la sombra de nuevas elecciones, el panorama político queda a la espera de complejas negociaciones para destrabar la gobernabilidad en Israel.

President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in “pretty good shape now” after defying election projections and indicated he would consider helping broker a national unity government.

The post Trump Declares Netanyahu in ‘Pretty Good Shape’ as Israeli PM Seeks Majority, Says He Would Consider Eventually Helping Broker a Unity Government appeared first on Breitbart.

Votes are still being counted, but it appears that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition nor the opposition alliance headed by Gadi Eisenkot will have a majority.

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President praises high turnout, says everything must be done to prevent a repeat vote, expects party leaders to show willingness to consider options

Benjamin Netanyahu’s party won the legislative elections held Tuesday in Israel, but even with the support of his ultra-nationalist and religious allies, the prime minister will not secure the majority of seats in parliament needed to continue governing.

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The president has a largely ceremonial role, except after elections when it is his responsibility to pick a candidate for prime minister.

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A government can only form if the same politicians who have been in power for years decide to mend fences, break decades-long patterns and make sense of an incoherent Knesset

Most votes were expected to be counted by Wednesday, but forming a government could take weeks of negotiations — or require another election.

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Enquanto o primeiro-ministro é o chefe de governo de Israel e lidera as negociações internas e no exterior, o país conta com um presidente que age como chefe de Estado, com um papel mais simbólico do que político.

A cada sete anos, um candidato é eleito pelo Knesset, o Parlamento do país, para mandato único. Na prática, o presidente israelense pode continuar no cargo por diferentes gestões, garantindo estabilidade.

A votação é secreta, realizada durante uma sessão especial.

O atual presidente israelense é Isaac Herzog, que assumiu em 2021.

Além de representar o país de forma diplomática pelo mundo, ele será responsável por definir quem será responsável por organizar a formação de governo após as eleições desta terça-feira (27) em Israel.

A votação é vista como um teste político para o primeiro-ministro Benjamin Netanyahu. O resultado poderá dificultar a formação de um novo governo liderado por ele, caso seus aliados não consigam reunir apoio suficiente no Knesset.

O que isso significa e quais são as funções do presidente?

De acordo com o governo israelense, a influência do presidente está “na capacidade de servir como símbolo da unidade nacional”.

A natureza e o alcance da influência do cargo são definidos como poder brando ou quarto poder.

A principal atribuição é apontar um líder partidário para formar um governo, após eleições ou renúncia de um primeiro-ministro.

Depois do resultado das eleições, o presidente consulta representantes dos partidos e atribui a um integrante do Knesset a tarefa de formar o governo.

O parlamentar escolhido conduz as negociações para reunir apoio suficiente e, caso consiga formar uma coalizão, apresenta o governo ao Parlamento para obter um voto de confiança.

“Existem duas razões principais para o envolvimento do presidente nessa política: primeiro, a estabilidade do cargo. Em segundo, há a capacidade para mediar agendas e grupos partidários, especialmente nos momentos mais polarizados e divisivos da vida nacional: as eleições para o Knesset”, diz o governo.

Outras funções

• Assinar leis depois de terem sido aprovadas pelo Knesset;
• Credenciar os representantes diplomáticos do Estado de Israel e receber as credenciais dos representantes diplomáticos enviados a Israel por Estados estrangeiros;
• Assinatura de tratados com Estados estrangeiros aprovados pelo Knesset;
• Nomeação e destituição de juízes e outros titulares de cargos públicos;
• Conceder indultos a condenados pela redução ou anulação de penas.

Quem pode se candidatar?

• Qualquer cidadão israelense residente em Israel pode ser candidato à Presidência;
• A candidatura deve ser proposta por pelo menos dez integrantes do Knesset;
• O presidente é eleito pelos parlamentares em votação secreta;
• Após a eleição, o presidente eleito deve prestar uma declaração de compromisso perante o Knesset;
• O mandato tem duração de sete anos, sem possibilidade de reeleição para um segundo mandato.

Saída do cargo

A lei permite que o presidente seja destituído em casos de condutas incompatíveis com o cargo.

Isso acontece após audiências e o consentimento de pelo menos 90 de 120 membros do Knesset.

Qual é a diferença entre presidente e primeiro-ministro em Israel?

Enquanto Benjamin Netanyahu define ministros, propõe leis e negocia com outros parlamentares e líderes internacionais, Isaac Herzog recebe diplomatas, faz viagens oficiais sem peso político, mas institucional, e defende a imagem do Estado e suas ações.

Não é incomum a separação entre chefes de Governo – que controlam o Executivo – e chefes de Estado – responsáveis por representar os países de forma institucional.

Caso parecido é o do Reino Unido: a Família Real tem o rei ou rainha vigente no papel de chefe de Estado, enquanto o primeiro-ministro lidera o governo e conduz a política executiva. Embora o monarca exerça funções constitucionais, a condução política cotidiana cabe ao governo, que precisa contar com a confiança de outros parlamentares da Câmara.

Knesset, Likud: Entenda os principais termos da eleição de Israel