Israel faces political deadlock as election yields no clear majority

Israel's 120-seat Knesset did not produce a clear winner in the recent election, leaving the country without a governing coalition and potentially extending a period of political uncertainty for weeks or months. Neither the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party nor the centrist Yashar bloc headed by rival Gadi Eisenkot secured the 61 seats needed to form a government.

Analysts outline four scenarios that could break the stalemate. The first envisions an opposition-led government that would rely on cooperation with Arab parties, a prospect opposed by right-wing leaders Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, who have hardened their stance since the October 7 attack. The second proposes a national unity cabinet that would include Likud and at least one opposition party, though Eisenkot has ruled out joining a government with Netanyahu.

A third option involves Netanyahu seeking defections from opposition lawmakers, but all opposition bloc leaders have publicly refused to sit with him, and his bloc is eight seats short of a majority. The fourth scenario is a new election, which would follow a series of presidential consultations. President Isaac Herzog is expected to interview party leaders and assign one of them the task of forming a coalition, with a 28-day deadline that can be extended by 14 days. If the first appointee fails, a second and possibly a third candidate would be given similar timeframes before a fresh election is called.

Should the process stall, Netanyahu, who remains caretaker prime minister, could retain the role while another election is organized, potentially as early as next spring. This would mark the seventh general election in eight years, underscoring the depth of Israel's current political impasse.