Israel was plunged into political turmoil this week after its parliamentary election ended in a near-draw, leaving the Kadima and Likud parties in a struggle to assemble a governing coalition and name a new prime minister. With 99 percent of the vote counted, Kadima, a centrist party headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, took 28 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The right-wing Likud party of Benjamin Netanyahu, who has vowed to re-invade Gaza if necessary and crush Hamas, took 27 seats. Traditionally, the leader of the party with the most seats in the Knesset becomes prime minister. But the third largest share of seats went to the ultra-nationalist Israel Is Our Home party of Avigdor Lieberman, which is more likely to join a coalition with Likud. In the coming weeks, President Shimon Peres will have to decide whether Livni or Netanyahu is more likely to be able to form a stable coalition to govern.
Even though it’s not yet known who will emerge as prime minister, the results of this election are clear enough, said M.J. Rosenberg in the Los Angeles Times. “Israel is becoming a right-wing country.” Not a single major candidate in this week’s elections opposed the recent Gaza war. Instead, the campaign was dominated by “flag-waving, populism, and fear-mongering—over Iran, the Palestinians, and global anti-Semitism.” The worst manifestation of this rightward lurch is the rise of Lieberman, whose openly “racist” platform includes forcing Arab citizens of Israel to take a loyalty oath to the Jewish state. This man is now Israel’s kingmaker: Even Livni is reportedly sounding him out about a possible coalition.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
What would it be like in jail for Trump if he's convicted?Today's Big Question The Secret Service has begun grappling with how to protect a former president behind bars
-
How much can you save shopping secondhand?The Explainer Many Americans are buying pre-owned items to counteract the effects of inflation
-
Downtown St. Louis is in a real estate 'doom loop'Under the Radar The city is ripe with abandoned buildings and vacant lots, with its real estate market in dire straits
-
The final fate of Flight 370feature Malaysian officials announced that radar data had proven that the missing Flight 370 “ended in the southern Indian Ocean.”
-
The airplane that vanished
feature The mystery deepened surrounding the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared one hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.
-
A drug kingpin’s capture
feature The world’s most wanted drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, was captured by Mexican marines in the resort town of Mazatlán.
-
A mixed verdict in Florida
feature The trial of Michael Dunn, a white Floridian who fatally shot an unarmed black teen, came to a contentious end.
-
New Christie allegation
feature Did a top aide to the New Jersey governor tie Hurricane Sandy relief funds to the approval of a development proposal in the city of Hoboken?
-
A deal is struck with Iran
feature The U.S. and five world powers finalized a temporary agreement to halt Iran’s nuclear program.
-
End-of-year quiz
feature Here are 40 questions to test your knowledge of the year’s events.
-
Note to readers
feature Welcome to a special year-end issue of The Week.