Voting Underway in Israel as Netanyahu Faces Battle for Survival

Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition lost its majority in Israel's October 27 parliamentary election, with 53 seats compared to the opposition’s 48 seats, including a record-high 19 seats for Arab parties. This outcome presents a significant challenge as party leaders now face lengthy and complex negotiations to form a government. The centrist Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to win 20 of the Knesset's 120 seats, ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud. Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv before the election calling for an inquiry into security failures leading to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. The opposition accuses Netanyahu and his bloc of spreading unsubstantiated claims about Arab parties stealing the election and warns against Islamization.