Israel voted and nobody won: Netanyahu keeps power — for now

Neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, won a majority in Israel’s election Tuesday.

As of Thursday morning, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, alongside its religious and nationalist allies, are projected to secure 53 seats. Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, alongside its anti-Netanyahu allies, won 48 seats.

‘If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.’

With 61 seats needed to govern, neither leader can govern without convincing smaller parties to defect. Both blocs have sworn off cooperation with the Arab-led Ra’am and Joint List, which nabbed 19 seats total.

Arab turnout hit roughly 80%, about 25% higher than 2022, according to Israeli business publication Globes.

Netanyahu released a