Israel’s political impasse likely to continue as PM’s future ‘uncertain’

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the Likud party, addresses supporters at the party campaign headquarters in Jerusalem. Pic/AFP

The future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm of Israeli politics looked "uncertain" on Wednesday after nearly 90 per cent of votes counted, raising the possibility of a continued political impasse and even an unprecedented fifth election.

Netanyahu's Likud party has emerged as the single largest with 30 seats, but the right-wing bloc led by the 71-year-old leader still does not have the 61-seat majority needed to form a coalition in the 120-member Knesset (Israeli parliament).

The election turnout of 67.2 per cent was a drop of 4.3 per cent since last March's election when the turnout was 71.5 per cent, and the lowest of the four elections of the past two years. The Arab communities particularly witnessed "voter apathy", probably because of infighting, but it was also a shade lower among the Jews.

Some observers attributed this to "election fatigue" and also people choosing to engage in "passover cleaning" at home in preparation for the festival over the weekend, instead of turning up to vote. As Central Election Committee data continued to come in, the anti-Netanyahu bloc, a motley crew of left, right and centrist factions, was also shy of a majority signalling continued political gridlock.

The exit polls on Israel's leading TV channels released on Tuesday evening immediately after the polling ended at 10 pm indicated that both Netanyahu and his committed religious and nationalist allies did not have the required numbers to form a government.

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