Israel’s election deadlock is a sign of the country’s deep divisions

Israel’s election drew record participation from Jewish and Arab voters, but produced no clear parliamentary majority, leaving the country without an obvious path to a new government. The result reflects deep divisions over religion, military service, the war in Gaza and the country’s political direction.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party lost ground but is still expected to be the largest in the Knesset. Arab parties won about 15% of the vote, while around 10% backed the Jewish supremacist far right; the opposition bloc fell short of securing change. Forming a coalition may require groups with sharply opposing views to make difficult compromises.