What Israel’s Election Results Mean for the Middle East and Beyond

Israeli elections on Oct. 27 produced a complex result, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition alliance, led by Gadi Eisenkot, winning enough seats in the Knesset to form a government. The opposition faces a tricky choice: attempt to form a unity government with Netanyahu, after channeling anger at the prime minister during the campaign, or partner with the Israeli-Arab parties, which performed unusually well in the election. The latter option, however, is deeply unpalatable to most of the Jewish opposition. A period of negotiations now commences, while