The final tally appears to have left Netanyahu with a three-seat deficit in the quest to form a parliamentary majority.

By Associated Press

With the Israeli election results finalized on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again fallen short of a parliamentary majority, extending the country’s year-old political deadlock.

Netanyahu had been looking for a decisive victory in Monday’s vote, and initial exit polls had indicated his Likud party and smaller religious and Zionist allies had captured 60 seats, just one short of a majority required to form a new government.

While a final count announced by the election commission determined that Likud emerged as the largest individual party, with 36 seats, ahead of 33 seats for the rival Blue and White Party, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc captured just 58 seats, well short of the 61-seat majority.

In a video statement, Netanyahu continued to claim victory on Thursday.

“The Likud and the right won the election in a knockout,” he said. He accused his opponents of trying to “steal the decision from the masses of Israeli citizens who gave the Likud under my leadership a crushing victory.”

While Netanyahu’s opponents control a majority of seats, they are deeply divided, with a Zionist party and the predominantly Arab Joint List among them. The Joint List captured 15 seats, making it the third-largest party in parliament — its best performance ever.

Those divisions could make it difficult for Blue and White’s leader, former military chief Benny Gantz, to establish an alternative coalition. If neither he nor Netanyahu can form a government, the country would head to an unprecedented fourth straight election.

Monday’s election was the country’s third in less than a year. Previous elections in April and September also ended in deadlock.

Although Netanyahu’s Likud had a much better performance than in September, the final results are nonetheless a disappointment for Netanyahu.

The long-serving Israeli leader is scheduled to go on trial March 17 on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

Israeli law does not require the prime minister to resign if charged with a crime.

The Supreme Court is expected to soon examine the question of whether an indicted politician is permitted to form a new government. If it rules Netanyahu ineligible that could spark a constitutional crisis.

Opposition lawmakers have also begun discussing possible legislation that would prohibit an indicted lawmaker from forming a coalition, or that would establish term limits for the prime minister. Netanyahu is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

The most straightforward path out of the deadlock would be for Likud and Blue and White to agree to a power-sharing unity government.

But Gantz has refused to sit in a government led by Netanyahu while he is on trial, while Netanyahu insists on remaining in office as leader of a unity government.

Avigdor Lieberman, a maverick politician who refused to endorse either candidate after September’s vote, is reportedly expected to come out in favor of Gantz. But Lieberman has hostile relations with the Joint List, leaving it doubtful that Gantz can form a government with Netanyahu’s opponents.

The election commission said its results were completed, but not official. It said several polling stations were being investigated for possible irregularities and that results will not be official until they are delivered to the country’s president on March 10.

After that, President Reuven Rivlin will begin a round of consultations with the eight parties elected to parliament before choosing a candidate to try to form a coalition.

The prime minister-designate is usually the leader of the largest party, in this case Netanyahu. But Rivlin’s decision has been greatly complicated by the parliamentary deadlock and legal questions facing Netanyahu.

Let us often remember Praying and Blessing Israel

最终的统计似乎使内塔尼亚胡有3个席位的赤字，以寻求获得议会多数。内塔尼亚胡（Natanyahu）一直在寻求周一投票的决定性胜利，而最初的出口民意调查显示他的利库德党和较小的宗教和犹太复国主义的盟友占领了60个席位，仅占组成新的多数席位的一小部分选举委员会宣布的最后一项统计数字确定，利库德集团成为最大的个人政党，拥有36个席位，领先于竞争对手蓝白党的33个席位，而内塔尼亚胡的右翼集团仅获得58个席位，远远不够占61个席位的多数。

“ 他说。他指责他的反对者试图“窃取以色列人民群众的决定，这些人给了我领导下的利库德人以压倒性的胜利。”虽然内塔尼亚胡的反对者控制着多数席位，但他们之间的分歧非常大，他们由犹太复国主义党和主要是其中有阿拉伯联合名单。

联合名单获得15个席位，使其成为议会中第三大政党，这是有史以来最好的表现。这些分裂可能使蓝白党的领导人，前军事首领班尼·甘茨难以建立替代联盟。如果他和内塔尼亚胡都不能够组建政府，该国将进行史无前例的第四次连续选举。星期一的选举是该国不到一年的第三次选举。此前的4月和9月大选也陷入僵局。尽管内塔尼亚胡的利库德集团的表现比9月要好得多，但最终结果令内塔尼亚胡感到失望。

长期任职的以色列领导人定于3月17日受审判，罪名是欺诈，违反信任和受贿。内塔尼亚胡否认有任何不当行为，以色列法律不要求总理在被指控犯罪时辞职，预计最高法院将尽快审查是否允许被起诉的政客成立新政府的问题。如果反对内塔尼亚胡不符合资格，可能引发宪法危机。

反对派议员还开始讨论可能的法律，这些法律将禁止被起诉的立法者组成联盟，或为总理设定任期限制。内塔尼亚胡正在寻求连续第四个任期，摆脱僵局的最直接途径是让利库德和蓝白夫妇同意建立权力分享统一政府，但甘茨拒绝担任内塔尼亚胡领导的政府。

据报道，内塔尼亚胡坚持要继续担任统一政府领导人一职，特立独行的政治家阿维格多·利伯曼（Avigdor Lieberman）在9月的投票后拒绝支持任何一位候选人，据报道预计将出庭支持甘茨。但利伯曼与联合名单有敌对关系，使人怀疑甘茨能否与内塔尼亚胡的反对者组成政府。选举委员会表示，其结果已经完成，但尚未正式公布。声明说，正在对几个投票站进行调查，以检查是否可能存在违规行为，直到3月10日将结果提交给该国总统后，该结果才正式公布。

在那之后，鲁汶·里夫林总统将与选出的八个政党开始一轮磋商。选择一个候选人试图组建联盟。候任总理通常是最大党派的领导人，在这种情况下就是内塔尼亚胡。但是由于议会僵局和内塔尼亚胡面临的法律问题，里夫林的决定大大复杂化了。

Final election results leave Netanyahu short of parliamentary majority

The final tally appears to have left Netanyahu with a three-seat deficit in the quest to form a parliamentary majority.

By Associated Press

With the Israeli election results finalized on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again fallen short of a parliamentary majority, extending the country’s year-old political deadlock.

Netanyahu had been looking for a decisive victory in Monday’s vote, and initial exit polls had indicated his Likud party and smaller religious and Zionist allies had captured 60 seats, just one short of a majority required to form a new government.

While a final count announced by the election commission determined that Likud emerged as the largest individual party, with 36 seats, ahead of 33 seats for the rival Blue and White Party, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc captured just 58 seats, well short of the 61-seat majority.

In a video statement, Netanyahu continued to claim victory on Thursday.

“The Likud and the right won the election in a knockout,” he said. He accused his opponents of trying to “steal the decision from the masses of Israeli citizens who gave the Likud under my leadership a crushing victory.”

While Netanyahu’s opponents control a majority of seats, they are deeply divided, with a Zionist party and the predominantly Arab Joint List among them. The Joint List captured 15 seats, making it the third-largest party in parliament — its best performance ever.

Those divisions could make it difficult for Blue and White’s leader, former military chief Benny Gantz, to establish an alternative coalition. If neither he nor Netanyahu can form a government, the country would head to an unprecedented fourth straight election.

Monday’s election was the country’s third in less than a year. Previous elections in April and September also ended in deadlock.

Although Netanyahu’s Likud had a much better performance than in September, the final results are nonetheless a disappointment for Netanyahu.

The long-serving Israeli leader is scheduled to go on trial March 17 on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

Israeli law does not require the prime minister to resign if charged with a crime.

The Supreme Court is expected to soon examine the question of whether an indicted politician is permitted to form a new government. If it rules Netanyahu ineligible that could spark a constitutional crisis.

Opposition lawmakers have also begun discussing possible legislation that would prohibit an indicted lawmaker from forming a coalition, or that would establish term limits for the prime minister. Netanyahu is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

The most straightforward path out of the deadlock would be for Likud and Blue and White to agree to a power-sharing unity government.

But Gantz has refused to sit in a government led by Netanyahu while he is on trial, while Netanyahu insists on remaining in office as leader of a unity government.

Avigdor Lieberman, a maverick politician who refused to endorse either candidate after September’s vote, is reportedly expected to come out in favor of Gantz. But Lieberman has hostile relations with the Joint List, leaving it doubtful that Gantz can form a government with Netanyahu’s opponents.

The election commission said its results were completed, but not official. It said several polling stations were being investigated for possible irregularities and that results will not be official until they are delivered to the country’s president on March 10.

After that, President Reuven Rivlin will begin a round of consultations with the eight parties elected to parliament before choosing a candidate to try to form a coalition.

The prime minister-designate is usually the leader of the largest party, in this case Netanyahu. But Rivlin’s decision has been greatly complicated by the parliamentary deadlock and legal questions facing Netanyahu.

Let us often remember Praying and Blessing Israel

The final tally appears to have left Netanyahu with a three-seat deficit in the quest to form a parliamentary majority.

By Associated Press

With the Israeli election results finalized on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has again fallen short of a parliamentary majority, extending the country’s year-old political deadlock.

Netanyahu had been looking for a decisive victory in Monday’s vote, and initial exit polls had indicated his Likud party and smaller religious and Zionist allies had captured 60 seats, just one short of a majority required to form a new government.

While a final count announced by the election commission determined that Likud emerged as the largest individual party, with 36 seats, ahead of 33 seats for the rival Blue and White Party, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc captured just 58 seats, well short of the 61-seat majority.

In a video statement, Netanyahu continued to claim victory on Thursday.

“The Likud and the right won the election in a knockout,” he said. He accused his opponents of trying to “steal the decision from the masses of Israeli citizens who gave the Likud under my leadership a crushing victory.”

While Netanyahu’s opponents control a majority of seats, they are deeply divided, with a Zionist party and the predominantly Arab Joint List among them. The Joint List captured 15 seats, making it the third-largest party in parliament — its best performance ever.

Those divisions could make it difficult for Blue and White’s leader, former military chief Benny Gantz, to establish an alternative coalition. If neither he nor Netanyahu can form a government, the country would head to an unprecedented fourth straight election.

Monday’s election was the country’s third in less than a year. Previous elections in April and September also ended in deadlock.

Although Netanyahu’s Likud had a much better performance than in September, the final results are nonetheless a disappointment for Netanyahu.

The long-serving Israeli leader is scheduled to go on trial March 17 on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

Israeli law does not require the prime minister to resign if charged with a crime.

The Supreme Court is expected to soon examine the question of whether an indicted politician is permitted to form a new government. If it rules Netanyahu ineligible that could spark a constitutional crisis.

Opposition lawmakers have also begun discussing possible legislation that would prohibit an indicted lawmaker from forming a coalition, or that would establish term limits for the prime minister. Netanyahu is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

The most straightforward path out of the deadlock would be for Likud and Blue and White to agree to a power-sharing unity government.

But Gantz has refused to sit in a government led by Netanyahu while he is on trial, while Netanyahu insists on remaining in office as leader of a unity government.

The election commission said its results were completed, but not official. It said several polling stations were being investigated for possible irregularities and that results will not be official until they are delivered to the country’s president on March 10.

After that, President Reuven Rivlin will begin a round of consultations with the eight parties elected to parliament before choosing a candidate to try to form a coalition.

The prime minister-designate is usually the leader of the largest party, in this case Netanyahu. But Rivlin’s decision has been greatly complicated by the parliamentary deadlock and legal questions facing Netanyahu.

Let us often remember Praying and Blessing Israel