Netanyahu's bloc is projected to fall 13 seats short of a majority despite Trump's last-minute endorsement before Israel's election
Benjamin Netanyahu faces a deadlocked election on 27 October, with Arab parties holding enough seats to hand the opposition a majority if it joins forces with them.Benjamin Netanyahu's battle to retain power, as surveys suggest his rivals could secure a majority by uniting with Arab parties ahead of the 27 October vote.
A Walla survey gave Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies just 48 of the Knesset's 120 seats, and a Channel 12 poll put them on 51. Israeli pollster Dahlia Scheindlin said Donald Trump alone was unlikely to make up 'such significant ground'. Rival Gadi Eisenkot vowed he would resign 'an hour later' if forced into a rotation deal with Netanyahu. Israelis vote on 27 October.
Opposition parties have been in talks with Arab parties, who are expected to win roughly 14 Knesset seats, over a possible parliamentary arrangement.
As their price for cooperation, the Arab parties want demolitions in Israeli Arab communities halted or scaled back.
Netanyahu turns 77 this week, having undergone treatment for early-stage prostate cancer earlier this year.
