More Netanyahu

The voters of Israel are gluttons for punishment, having just gone through their third general election in a year. Even now the outcome is not entirely clear cut; but if one thing is apparent, it is that they have not turned their collective backs on Benjamin Netanyahu.

Against the odds, and with everyone expecting his Likud-led government to be trounced, the Right-wing coalition he leads has won the most seats. Rather than go backwards as many incumbents do – especially when they are facing trial on corruption charges – he won more seats than last time, boosted by recent diplomatic successes and a booming economy. It turns out that the age of Netanyahu is not over after all.

Indeed, his main opponent, Benny Gantz, the former army chief leading the centrist Blue and White Party, will find it hard to recover from this setback. At the very least, it had hoped to remain ahead of Likud as the largest party in order to challenge Mr Netanyahu’s legitimacy to govern.

As Likud made ground during the final stages of the campaign, Mr Gantz said he was preparing for a fourth election given the difficulties that Likud has had forming a working coalition able to deliver stable government. But it is questionable after this result that he can continue to lead the Blue and Whites.

Although Mr Netanyahu and his allies are projected to remain short of an overall majority, he has more on his plate than forming a government. He is due to stand trial later this month while trying to project an aura of business as usual. Israel’s president called the election campaign “awful and grubby”. The country’s voters must be hoping they are spared another any time soon.