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Israel did not get a clear majority in the elections and government formation has reached an impasse. Foreign media said Washington preferred to unify the government and hoped to oust far-right ministers, but US officials and Trump himself said the decision had not yet been finalized.
israel Congress elections were held on the 27th, but the results failed to produce a clear winner. It is expected that all the parties will start long talks for cabinet formation. News is coming from Israeli mediaWashington It prefers a specific Cabinet combination, but a US official said in an interview on the 28th that the Trump administration has not yet decided whether to intervene in Israel’s post-election ruling coalition preparations.
The Times of Israel reported that after more than 90% of the votes had been counted, the Prime Ministernetanyahu And the allies won 53 seats, while the opposition camp won 48 seats. None of them reached the 61-seat majority threshold, and there was no clear path to forming a cabinet. Arab-dominated parties are expected to win the remaining 19 seats. The newspaper’s analysis suggested that the ruling and opposition parties could cooperate to form a unity government, or the opposition could cooperate with Arab parties, but both options could force party leaders to break pre-election promises to voters; If the deadlock over government formation continues, another election may be held in Israel.
Netanyahu and his political opponents have begun political campaigns of their own to try to gain cabinet formation. According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu spoke with his far-right governing allies, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, on the evening of the 28th, and promised to maintain unity between the right-wing and Jewish Orthodox parties.
The Times of Israel reported that both Smotrich and Bengwe supported Israel’s annexation of Gaza, the voluntary expulsion of local residents, and the rebuilding of Israeli settlements in the area. Their claims do not match the blueprint for Gaza’s future outlined in the US-brokered ceasefire plan.
Israel’s Channel 13 previously reported, citing unnamed sources, that Washington is disappointed with the election results and has sent a message to the Israeli government that it does not want another election because a new round of war against Iran is coming and the White House expects Israel to maintain political stability. The United States also does not want Smotrich or Benguei to enter the next government, but in order to exclude both of them and their parties from the ruling coalition, it is likely that a unity government should be formed, and the United States has not yet pressured Israel in this regard.
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, citing unnamed sources, also reported that the Trump administration is considering supporting the formation of a unity government, specifically hoping to oust Bengui from the ruling coalition because the United States believes he is hindering Washington’s plans for the Gaza corridor and other projects.
However, US officials told The Times of Israel that the Trump administration has not yet decided whether to intervene in Israel’s ruling coalition preparations and that reports that Washington prefers a specific cabinet combination are “false and premature”. The official said the election results were still coming in and it was too early to take any decision.
In an exclusive interview with Axios on the 28th, Trump was asked whether he would interfere with the formation of a Netanyahu-led unity government. He claimed he had not yet considered the idea, adding: “I’ll look into it.”
Summary FAQ
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With more than 90% of the votes cast, Netanyahu’s camp won only 53 seats and the opposition won 48 seats, with neither reaching the 61-seat majority threshold. The Arab parties’ 19 seats became critical, leaving all parties lacking a stable majority to form a cabinet.
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Reports indicate that Washington does not want another election in Israel because it is concerned about a new round of war with Iran and is inclined to support a unity government; She also does not want Smotrich and Bengvi to enter the next government.
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US officials said the Trump administration had not yet decided whether to intervene and that claims it had endorsed a specific Cabinet combination were “false and premature”. Trump himself said that he had not yet considered it and only said that he would study it.
