Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMOREThe Likud Party won the majority of seats in the Israeli legislature, although the party along with its allied conservative factions did not get the majority needed for a governing coalition.
In accordance with The Washington Post, the party bloc most likely to align with Netanyahu only won 52 seats in the 120-member Israeli Knesset this week, just nine of the number needed to reach a majority.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s opponents did not get a majority either, collectively winning 57 seats, according to the Post, leaving questions about how the parties will negotiate to get a governing coalition.
Reuters reported On Thursday, while political commentators initially saw an agreement between Netanyahu and the United Arab List (UAL) unlikely, some say the prime minister could agree to improve conditions for the Israeli Arab minority by 21% in exchange for government support.
The UAL, who has pro-Palestinian sympathies, has shown openness to this agreement, with the UAL member Waleed Taha told Israel Army Radio in a recent interview: “Sometimes coalitions include people who don’t really like each other,” Reuters reported.
However, this move is likely to face the backlash of some of Netanyahu’s sponsors, including the ultranationalist party Religious Zionism, which said it would stop supporting Netanyahu if it reached an agreement with the UAL.
“No right-wing government based on the UAL will emerge. Period. Neither (with UAL) on the inside, nor on the outside, nor by abstention, nor by any other type of (scheme), ”religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Facebook.
The Post noted Thursday that several have asked the former defense minister Netanyahu’s rival Naftali Bennett will join forces with the prime minister.
While Bennett has not ruled out this move, his seven-seat Yamina party would still mean Netanyahu would need two more to reach a governing coalition.
The election comes amid heightened pressure around Netanyahu, whose popularity had intensified in past elections due to his close relationship with the former. President Trump
Donald Trump: The Hill’s Morning Report: Biden changes GOP filibuster to pressure Biden and Democrats on the border Elaine Luria supports McAuliffe as governor in Virginia’s Democratic primary MORE, although the prime minister has still expressed optimism amid President Biden’s tougher stance on Israeli actions in the West Bank.
This week’s election marks Israel’s fourth position in two years and was spurred in December when its parliament missed a deadline to approve a budget. The recent elections have continued to divide Israel’s political parties, with more rallies against Netanyahu.
Last week, tens of thousands of protesters met outside Netanyahu’s home, demanding an end to the leader’s 12-year rule.
The prime minister is also facing an alleged corruption scandal that includes charges bribery, fraud and breach of trust, although Netanyahu has continued to deny any wrongdoing.