Initial results from the Israeli elections show that the coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu is in the lead with 54 seats. In this election, 84.5 percent of the votes have been counted, and the opposition coalition led by Gadi Eisenkot has obtained 49 seats.
No Clear Winner
Despite Netanyahu's lead, neither coalition has reached the 61 seats necessary to form a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. This is likely to lead to weeks of political uncertainty. Estimates indicate that between 430,000 and 480,000 "double envelope" votes remain, primarily sent by soldiers, prisoners, and diplomats.
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Concerns About Human Rights
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed hope in New York that the new Israeli government will respect international law principles. He stated, "Iran must adhere to its commitments regarding human rights and humanitarian law, and I hope the upcoming government will seriously change course." Turk also expressed serious concerns about Israel's recent operations in the city of Hebron in the West Bank, stating that these actions could constitute collective punishment and even ethnic cleansing.
Meanwhile, Omid Nouripour, a member of the German parliament, reacted to the high voter turnout by saying it reflects the strength of democracy in Israel. He added, "People have trusted democracy and have gone to the polls, especially Israeli Arabs who participated widely in this election."
Call for Cooperation to Form New Government
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, called on all parties to approach negotiations for forming a new government with an open mind. He announced, "I will receive the official election results next week, and after that, I will begin consultations." Herzog emphasized the need to prevent a new round of elections, stating, "We must do everything we can to avoid new elections." In previous terms, Israel held five general elections between April 2019 and November 2022 due to similar problems in forming a government.
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