Dark Clouds Over Netanyahu's Bid to Retain Power... Arab Parties Back Opposition

[Anchor]

Dark clouds are gathering over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to retain power following the recent general election, compounded by the midterm defeat of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had been a staunch ally. Arab parties, which have emerged as kingmakers, are backing the opposition, and defections have occurred within Netanyahu's core support base.

Reporter Lee Hyun-jung has the details.

[Reporter]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to secure a parliamentary majority in last month's general election.

[Benjamin Netanyahu / Israeli Prime Minister : They are trying to form a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.]

The initiative has already shifted to the opposition in the race for the president's nomination for prime minister, the first hurdle in forming a coalition government.

On the 4th, local time, the Arab party Ra'am officially announced that it would recommend Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief of staff, as the candidate for the next prime minister.

In contrast, some defections occurred within ultra-Orthodox parties, which are key allies of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Degel HaTorah faction of the ultra-Orthodox party declared that, following instructions from its spiritual leaders, it would not recommend anyone as the candidate for the next prime minister.

As a result, lawmakers supporting Eisenkot increased to a total of 56, while the number of lawmakers supporting Prime Minister Netanyahu dropped to 49, moving further away from the 61 seats required for a majority.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's camp raised allegations of voter fraud among Arab voters, but the Central Election Commission dismissed the claim.

President Isaac Herzog, having received the official election results, drew a line against allegations of election interference, stating that he has full confidence in law enforcement agencies.

[Isaac Herzog / Israeli President : I've said it before, and I will say it again here. I have absolute trust in the work of the Shin Bet, the Israel Police, and the law enforcement authorities.]

In addition, U.S. President Donald Trump, a powerful ally, suffered a crushing defeat in the midterm elections and lost control of Congress. This is expected to disrupt Prime Minister Netanyahu's plans to pressure for coalition formation by highlighting a hardline stance against Iran and a close relationship with the United States.

(Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.