Knesset for a toss

A deeply divided Israel might see Benjamin Netanyahu stay on as Prime Minister. The October 27 ballot has returned a hung parliament with neither the Likud-led bloc nor the opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot securing a simple majority. The composition of the 120-seat Knesset is yet to be finalised and for the first time Arab voters, who hold sway over 19 constituencies, could be the arbiter in forming the next government. This silent 20% Israeli-Arab population has a significant role to play, and it is widely believed that they will uphold the status quo. The elections, marred by widespread irregularities and allegations of foreign funding, have turned the security-state's profile into the kind of bickering and instability often associated with developing countries.

President Trump, likewise, was seen as a cardinal player at the polls as he openly endorsed the candidature of war-criminal Netanyahu. He went to the extent of seeking a pardon for Netanyahu in his corruption trial, while also backing his aggressive policies that have undermined prospects for peace in the region and supporting military action against Iran. With Israel's domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, probing allegations of electoral irregularities and interference, the results are on tenterhooks. It is quite likely that failure to form a government may result in early elections next year, pushing the hawkish Bibi and Eisenkot to raise their public appeal for war-mongering. Playing the security card for political point-scoring has long been a familiar tactic.

With more than 75% of 5.6 million votes counted, the remaining half-million absentee ballots can hardly change the spectrum. These are from military personnel, diplomats, prisoners and the indisposed. The game-changing aspect could be a new US-Israeli onslaught over Iran in the coming days as Trump's Republicans are taking a beating in the US mid-term elections. This could become catastrophic for the region and push Israel once again into the clutches of the longest-serving prime minister who only believes in aggrandisement, aggression and arrogance. Israeli voters have surely missed a chance to elect a peace constituency.