Benjamin Netanyahu has pulled ahead in the Israeli elections with nearly 92 per cent of all ballots counted, leaving his opponents to weigh an unlikely deal with the Arab parties as victory falls further out of view.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister was on course to win 53 seats in parliament between his Likud party and allies on the right, well ahead of the 48 forecast for the opposition bloc of rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Parties representing Israelis of Arab descent were meanwhile set to win an unprecedented 19 of 120 possible seats, following high turnout from passionately motivated voters in the first elections since the October 7, 2023 attacks and ensuing regional conflicts.
Netanyahu won the support of an unexpectedly clear majority of Israeli Jews, suggesting he may stay on in power at least in a caretaker role. If neither bloc can form a coalition government, the existing cabinet with stay on until another election can be called.
The results could still change, but a victory for Eisenkot looked out of reach save for a deal to accept broad backing from the Arab parties, which many Jewish leaders reject.
In 2021, Netanyahu was ousted from the top office by a broad coalition, which for the first time included an Arab party, Ra’am. But the government soon destabilised, making way for Bibi to return barely 18 months later.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu warned against a “dangerous government” that might include the Arab-led parties - whose constituents make up a fifth of Israel’s population - and dismissed the idea of partnering with them as treasonous.
Eisenkot has left the door open to partnering with the Arab parties under certain conditions, including their recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and of Hamas as an extremist group.
But it is not clear whether some of his likely partners who have ruled out such an alliance would change their minds to force Netanyahu from office.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog on Wednesday urged political parties to do everything possible to avoid having to re-run the election next year.
“We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections. So I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind,” he said during a gathering at the president’s residence in Jerusalem.
He said he expects to receive the official results next week, after which he will begin consultations with each faction of the Knesset, or parliament, over the formation of a new government.
Final results will capture about half a million absentee ballots yet to be counted from military personnel and diplomats.
The European Union meanwhile praised Israel’s “vibrant democracy” and higher voter turnout of nearly 78 per cent in Tuesday’s election, the highest since 1999.
A spokesperson said in a statement that they look forward to engaging with the next government based on their “longstanding relationship and commitment to democratic principles and common values”.
Donald Trump took credit for Netanyahu’s performance in the election, sharing a statement attributed to “Irving C. Schwartz” that said the US president’s endorsement had “turned the tide”.
“When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu,” the statement read.
Read MoreMAGA lost it over Cheesecake Factory dig. But goes quiet on Trump Mar-a-Lago boast
From elections to assassination attempts: Netanyahu’s remarkable history of survival
