Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu MOREThe Likud party won the most seats in the Israeli legislature, although the party, along with its associated conservative factions, failed to obtain the majority needed for a governing coalition.
According to The Washington Postthe bloc of parties most likely to join Netanyahu won just 52 seats in the 120-member Israeli Knesset this week, only nine fewer than the number needed to reach a majority.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s opponents also failed to gain a majority by jointly securing 57 seats, the Post said, raising questions about how the parties will negotiate to reach a government coalition.
Reuters reported On Thursday, while political commentators initially viewed an agreement between Netanyahu and the United Arab List (UAL) as unlikely, some now say the prime minister could agree to improve conditions for Israel’s 21 percent Arab minority in exchange for government support.
The UAL, who has pro-Palestinian sympathies, has indicated that it is open to such a scheme, with a UAL member Waleed Taha told Israeli army radio in a recent interview, “Sometimes coalitions include people who don’t really love each other,” Reuters reported.
However, such a move is likely to face backlashes from some of Netanyahu’s backers, including the ultra-nationalist party Religious Zionism, which said it would drop support for Netanyahu if he reached an agreement with UAL.
“There will be no right-wing government based on UAL. Period. Not (with UAL) on the inside, nor on the outside, not by abstinence, nor by any other kind (plan), ”the leader of religious Zionism Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Facebook, Reuters said.
The Post noted on Thursday that several have appealed to the former Secretary of Defense Naftali Bennett, a Netanyahu rival, to join forces with the Prime Minister.
While Bennett hasn’t ruled out such a move, his Yamina party’s seven seats would still mean Netanyahu would need two more seats to reach a government coalition.
The election comes amid mounting pressure around Netanyahu, whose popularity had grown in previous elections due to his close relationship with the former President Trump
Donald Trump The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden Shifts On Filibuster GOP Seems To Press Biden, Democrats On The Border Elaine Luria Endorsed McAuliffe For Governor In Virginia Democratic Primary MORE, although the prime minister is still optimistic about President Biden’s tougher stance on Israeli actions in the West Bank.
This week’s election marks Israel’s fourth in two years and was boosted in December when parliament missed a deadline to approve a budget. The recent election continues to divide political parties in Israel, with more protests against Netanyahu.
Last week, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside Netanyahu’s home demanding an end to the leader’s 12-year rule.
The prime minister is also facing an alleged corruption scandal, including allegations of it bribery, fraud and breach of trust, although Netanyahu has continued to deny any wrongdoing.