Netanyahu’s bloc leads Israel election count but remains short of majority

This morning, Israel's election is still too close to call, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have a tough time holding on to power. Early results show Netanyahu's coalition heading for about 50 seats in parliament, with the bloc backing his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, just barely leading him a couple more. Arab-led parties are projected to win the remaining seats. And that's where things get complicated. Israel's parliament has 120 seats. you need at least 61 to form a government, and neither side is close to that number on its own. So the Arab-led parties could play a decisive role in what happens next. Netanyahu is already rejecting the idea of a government that depends on their support, calling such an arrangement treasonous. Eisenkot has left the door open to working with Arab parties, but only if they accept certain conditions, including recognizing Israel as a Jewish state. This was Israel's national elections since the October 7th Hamas attacks in 2023 and voters turned out in force nearly 78 percent the highest in more than two decades as of the latest update only about two-thirds of the votes had been counted more results are expected later today but even once the count is finished it could take weeks to figure out who actually forms the next government