Likud Party and Other Israeli Right-Wing Groups Fail to Secure Majority in General Election

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Je-hoon] Local media reported on the 4th (local time) that the broad right-wing camp, including the Likud Party, failed to secure a majority in the Israeli Knesset general election.

According to The Times of Israel, with 99% of the votes counted, the right-wing camp led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party secured a total of 58 seats. This means they failed to achieve the majority of 61 seats.

By party, the Likud Party won 36 seats, and the centrist opposition Blue and White Party secured 33 seats. The Joint List, an alliance of Arab parties, ranked third with 15 seats. Other parties such as Shas, the Torah Judaism Party, the Labor-Gesher-Meretz alliance, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yamina shared between 6 to 9 seats each.

Following this election result, the President of Israel will soon nominate the leader of the party most likely to form a coalition government as the prime minister candidate and grant the authority to form the government. Currently, it is known that Netanyahu of the Likud Party, which secured the most seats, is highly likely to be nominated.

If Netanyahu succeeds in forming a coalition government within 42 days, the political turmoil that has lasted about a year will be resolved. However, if he fails, there is also an analysis that a fourth general election cannot be ruled out. Previously, Israel held two general elections in April and September last year, but the right-wing coalition including the Likud Party and the centrist coalition including the Blue and White Party failed to form a government, leading to a third general election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.