The results of this week’s elections for a new government for Israel revealed deep divisions within the political life of the Jewish state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the most votes for Prime Minister, but his political party and their allies lost a number of seats in the Knesset. Although official results will not be released for several more days, the early numbers indicate the new Parliament may be divided 60-60 when the minor parties align around their respective ideological allegiances.
This is likely to create a highly unstable governing coalition. Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to be given the first attempt to gather enough partners to create a government (under the Israeli parliamentary system, governing requires a majority in the Knesset), but his success is not assured. Even if he can gather together a majority from some of the minor parties, the political concessions and maneuvering are likely to present major headaches for the new government.
All of this comes against a backdrop of growing threats that Israel must face in the months and years ahead. The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate as the violence of the civil war spirals out of control. This week Russia announced it was evacuating its citizens from the beleaguered nation—a grim sign for supporters of the Assad regime, which Russia has strongly supported. The situation in Egypt continues to grow more challenging as well, and the recent revelation that Egyptian President Morsi called Jewish People “the descendants of apes and pigs” at a rally two years ago highlighted the tension between the two nations.
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