If, as was widely predicted before Israelis went to the polls, the election was a referendum on the country’s longest-serving prime minister, the voters’ verdict is difficult to discern.
For several months, polls had showed the opposition “change bloc” leading Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition – at times, within striking distance of the 61 seats needed to command a majority in the Knesset. In recent weeks, too, former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s upstart Yashar party had led Likud.
In the end, however, Netanyahu and his ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies emerged from the 27 October election with 53 seats in the Knesset – while the “change bloc” picked up 48. Likud, which some polls had shown dipping below 20 seats, scored 27, while Eisenkot’s Yashar won 21.
For our analysis of what’s next, access the briefing below.