Israel: No bloc without a majority. Arab parties could be key

According to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission, Netanyahu's Likud remains the largest party in the Knesset with 27 seats, down five from the previous elections. The ruling bloc, consisting of five parties, secured 53 seats, a decrease from 64 in 2022, leaving Netanyahu's coalition eight seats short of a majority. The far-right parties, Jewish Power and Religious Zionism, gained 13 seats, while the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism maintained seven. The Shas party suffered significant losses, dropping from 11 to six seats, marking its weakest performance since 1992. The opposition gained ground with the centrist party Yashar winning 21 seats and the right-wing Together party securing 12. The left-wing Democrats doubled their representation to eight seats. Arab parties achieved a historic high with 19 seats, nearly double their previous count. Discussions for a national unity government are underway, potentially involving Likud, Yashar, Together, and Israel Our…