Eisenkot's Dilemma: Arab Parties Surge, Netanyahu Waits
Part of composite article Record Turnout as Netanyahu and Eisenkot Fight to a Draw, Arab Parties Hold the Balance View full article →
Exit polls show opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot must work with Arab-Israeli parties to have any chance of governing. The big gains by Palestinian parties in Israel's general election pose an urgent challenge to the country's mainstream opposition: cooperate with Arab Israelis or hand Benjamin Netanyahu a roadmap to political survival.
After Tuesday's exit polls, Eisenkot declared the result a victory for "Israel's Zionist national majority." But the real outcome appears far more complex. Coalition talks loom as the Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs are tied.