Noah Shack: Israeli election is Canada’s opportunity for a reset
The engagement standard that guides Canada’s relations with countries like Turkey, Qatar and India should apply to Israel as well.
Jerusalem — It appears Benjamin Netanyahu will maintain his role as Israel's caretaker prime minister following a surprising surge in support from Jewish voters. Although his opponents might have initially appeared poised to replace him, Netanyahu's right-wing coalition experienced a significant setback as it lost its majority in the Knesset.
As of Wednesday, with approximately 86% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc has garnered 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, clearly leading over Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc, which secured 48 seats. Notably, the parties representing Arab Israelis are projected to secure 19 seats, a first, making it unlikely for Eisenkot to form a government without their support, which most Jewish political leaders are opposed to.
While the final vote count may still vary, Eisenkot's coalition, comprising various political spectra from the center-left to the hard right, has not met the expectations set by pre-election forecasts, which predicted a closely contested race. Consequently, Netanyahu will continue serving as caretaker prime minister until coalition negotiations are concluded, potentially until the next election next year.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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