JERUSALEM – In an apparent setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the longtime Israeli leader on Tuesday fell short of securing a parliamentary majority with his hard-line allies in national elections, initial exit polls showed, putting his political future in question.
The apparent deadlock sets the stage for an extended period of uncertainly and complicated political maneuvering, but with Netanyahu in a relatively weaker bargaining position. The parties could be forced into a broad unity government that could push Netanyahu out. “I want to lower everyone’s expectations. We aren’t going to join a narrow right-wing government or a narrow left-wing government,” said Eli Avidar, a member of Yisrael Beitenu.Netanyahu, the longest serving leader in Israeli history, had sought to secure an outright majority with his allies to secure immunity from the expected indictment. That now seems unlikely.
The initial exits polls positioned Lieberman once again in the role of kingmaker. Lieberman has promised to avoid a third election. He beseeched supporters to vote to stave off the prospect of a left-wing government he said would endanger Israel’s security. He accused his opponents of conspiring with Arab politicians to “steal” the election, a message that drew accusations of racism and incitement. Netanyahu had also made unfounded claims of fraud in Arab voting areas and unsuccessfully pushed for legislation to place cameras in polling stations.
A centerpiece of Netanyahu’s eleventh-hour agenda was a pledge to extend Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank and to annex all the Jewish settlements there, something Netanyahu has refrained from doing during his decade-plus in power because of the far-reaching diplomatic repercussions.
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