Election leaves Israel’s government in limbo

JERUSALEM — Uncertainty hovered Wednesday over the outcome of Israel’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the political rivals deter- mined to depose him apparently lacking clear paths to a governing coalition.

Deadlock in the 120-seat parliament was a real possibility a day after the election.

With about 90% of the vote counted by Wednesday morning, Netanyahu’s Likud party and its ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies fell short of a 61-seat majority — even if the Yamina party of Netanyahu ally-turned-critic Naftali Bennett were to join a Netanyahu-led government. Bennett has refused to endorse either side.

At the same time, a small Arab party emerged as a potential kingmaker Wednesday morning after the latest count indicated it would cross the threshold to get into parliament. Like Bennett, the head of the Ra’am party, Mansour Abbas, has not ruled out joining either camp.

“We’re not in anyone’s pocket,” he told the 103 FM radio station.

“We’re willing to have contact with both of the sides with anyone who is trying to form a government and sees himself as a future prime minister,” Abbas added, reflecting the long road of negotiations ahead. “If there’s an offer, we will sit; we will talk.”

With key players on both sides ruling out an alliance with Abbas, a fifth election also remained a possibility if neither camp could form a coalition. In that case, Netanyahu would remain a caretaker prime minister while facing a corruption trial.

The final tally of the votes cast at regular polling stations was nearly complete Wednesday, Israeli media said. But even then, much could still change. The elections commission was still counting about 450,000 absentee ballots from voters who cast them outside their home polling places.

The initial results showed the country as deeply divided as ever, with an array of small sectarian parties dominating the parliament.

The results also signaled a continuing shift of the Israeli electorate toward the right wing, which supports West Bank settlements and opposes concessions in peace talks with the Palestinians. That trend was highlighted by the strong showing of an ultranationalist, anti-Arab religious party.

After three previous inconclusive elections, Netanyahu had been hoping for a decisive victory that would allow him to form a government with his traditional ultra-Orthodox and hard-line nationalist allies and seek immunity from the corruption charges.

In an address to supporters early Wednesday, Netanyahu spoke of a “great achievement” but stopped short of declaring victory. Instead, he appeared to reach out to his opponents and called for formation of a “stable government” that would avoid another election.

“We must not under any circumstances drag the state of Israel to new elections, to a fifth election,” he said. “We must form a stable government now.”

Bennett could play an outsize role. He shares Netanyahu’s hard-line nationalist ideology and would seem to be more likely to ultimately join the prime minister. But Bennett has not ruled out joining forces with Netanyahu’s opponents.

After the election results come in, attention will turn to the country’s figurehead president, Reuven Rivlin.

He will hold a series of meetings with party leaders and then choose the one he believes has the best chance of forming a government as the prime minister-designate. That could set off weeks of horse-trading.