The Israeli political parties that make up the coalition allowing Benjamin Netanyahu to remain prime minister of Israel has fallen short of winning a majority of seats in the Knesset, likely throwing the country into additional political chaos, the Washington Post reports.
The coalition, led by Netanyahu's Likud Party, won just 52 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. A group of anti-Netanyahu parties also failed to win an absolute majority, taking just 57 seats. A scramble to secure the 61-seat majority is underway as leaders attempt to secure the allegiance of smaller parties or independent members.
"This round of elections was among the most challenging that the state of Israel has known. Beyond the fact that this is the fourth election in the past two and a half years, we experienced an enormous challenge in light of the coronavirus pandemic," said Orly Adas, head of the Central Elections Committee.
To gain the majority needed, Likud would need an alliance that possibly includes a Arab-Israeli party, which would put an Arab-affiliated party in the leadership coalition for the first time in Israel's history.