Israelis await final election results as difficult choices lie ahead

Jerusalem - Israelis are eagerly awaiting the final election results to determine the political landscape. It appears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies may not secure a majority of parliament seats, nor will the parties opposing his rule. This uncertainty will bring about difficult decisions in the coming weeks.

Parties may consider a historic alliance between Jewish and Arab factions, or some parties that campaigned to remove Netanyahu could unite with him instead. Regardless of the outcome, Netanyahu will retain his position for now. The final results might emerge as early as Thursday evening after counting about half a million absentee ballots from military personnel, diplomats, inmates, and others.

These ballots are unlikely to drastically alter the final tally. According to local media, Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats, opposition parties 48, while Arab-led parties are expected to secure 19 seats. Some supporters have rallied in favor of forming a coalition with these Arab-led parties. Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu's chief rival and former military chief, made his first appearance as a potential alternative to Netanyahu.