The commanding victory of the Democrats has brought private relief to some Europeans but no official glee, with Ukraine, Iran and NATO all hanging in the balance.
Israeli party leaders were holding discussions with President Isaac Herzog on Thursday about who should get the first chance to form a governing coalition.
President Isaac Herzog has tried to avoid controversy and heal rifts in his largely ceremonial role. But his skills as a savvy mediator could be instrumental after an inconclusive election.
The presidentβs announcement on Election Day, which he said was part of an agreement reached months ago, was a sign of how quickly the politics surrounding Israel have shifted.
Party leaders will make competing cases to the Israeli president for either Benjamin Netanyahu or Gadi Eisenkot to get the first chance to build a governing coalition.
After losing ground in Israelβs election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must draw on decades of political capital and reckon with old foes if he is to build a governing coalition.
Having won a record 19 seats in Israelβs Parliament, the two Arab-led parties say they want to work with opposition factions to take down the Netanyahu government.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fighting to stay in power and President Trump facing a tough midterm, Iranβs leaders expect no major shift in policy.
The leading contenders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot, arenβt substantially different in their approach to Israelβs security or in their opposition to a Palestinian state.
Campaign posters for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party, and Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, in Hadera, Israel, on Tuesday.
Gains for Arab-led parties have electrified Taibe, in central Israel, even as voters elsewhere in Israel say they have no place in any future government.
Ahmad Tibi, a leader of the Joint List party, with supporters on Tuesday outside a polling station in Taibe, Israel, a predominantly Arab town. βWeβre ready to swallow frogs to take down Netanyahuβs government,β he said.