Israel election leaves there no clear winner as rivals face weeks of talks

Opposition leads but falls short

At Gadi Eisenkot’s headquarters, his party and supporters pointed to the combined strength of opposition and Arab parties. Netanyahu’s coalition lost seats, while Arab parties were projected to win 17. Yet Eisenkot’s coalition allies are unlikely to join forces with them, leaving the path to a majority uncertain.

A country at a crossroads

The election has been widely seen as a defining moment in a deeply divided country. Jonathan Barsade, a dual American-Israeli citizen who leads the nonpartisan America-Israel Democracy Coalition, said Israelis across the political spectrum feel the country is at a crossroads.

Barsade helped lead an effort to bring Israeli expatriates back to vote. Israel has no mail-in voting, and about 70,000 people returned for the election, described as the largest such effort.

Voters look toward the future

Some voters said they hoped new leadership could bring peace. In the south, 75-year-old Avshalom Seri voted against Netanyahu, with his 3-year-old grandson Michael helping him. Seri said he hoped for leaders who would think about peace, pointing to children and grandchildren and saying the fighting had gone on long enough.