Israel’s election: The battle between change and anti-Palestinian sentiment

Israel’s parliamentary vote on Tuesday, October 27, drew 77.7 percent turnout, the highest since 1999, but left no bloc with a clear majority. With nearly 80 percent of ballots counted on Wednesday, the outgoing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu held 54 seats, while the Zionist opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot had 49; 61 seats are needed to govern. Arab-led Ra’am and the Joint List held 17 seats and could theoretically determine the balance of power, though neither bloc appeared willing to ally with them. The final count was expected by Friday.