Israel
Ben-Gvir's party wins seven seats but faces coalition exile either way
By Jewish Life Staff, . Jewish Life.
Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party won seven seats in Israel's Knesset election, the same total as the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party and Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu, according to the Times of Israel. Despite that result, the party may be one of the election's biggest losers in practical terms.
What the numbers show
With close to all votes counted, the Times of Israel reported the Netanyahu-led bloc, made up of Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism, held 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel's parliament. The bloc led by former general Gadi Eisenkot stood at 48 seats. Arab parties surged to 19 seats.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism and the ultra-Orthodox Shas each won six seats, the Times of Israel reported. Ben-Gvir ran independently this election cycle, without joining forces with other parties, according to Ynet News. He had hoped for double-digit seats; the report said he put a positive spin on the outcome, pointing to his record on security.
A split on the right
Haaretz reported that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich together lost ground despite winning more votes in total, a result of how seats were divided between their two separate lists. The publication also identified a geographic divide: Smotrich draws stronger support in West Bank settlements, while Ben-Gvir performs better in Israel's periphery, the towns and development cities away from the major urban centers.
While international media and the Israeli left tend to treat the two men as a unit, Jewish Insider reported there are meaningful differences between them. Both remain part of the Netanyahu-led bloc, the publication noted, even as they faced widespread condemnation.
What comes next
Ben-Gvir rejected the idea of a unity government with Eisenkot's bloc, calling it a "government of paralysis," Ynet News reported. Haaretz assessed that Otzma Yehudit is likely to remain outside the coalition whether Eisenkot forms a minority government or a unity arrangement is reached.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said he intends to continue, according to Jewish Insider, though the composition of the next government remained unclear at the time of reporting.
Sources
1. Ben-Gvir's seven seats: Neither a resounding success nor a political failure, haaretz.com
2. Smotrich, Ben-Gvir remain key parts of Netanyahu's bloc despite widespread condemnation, jewishinsider.com
3. With close to all votes counted, Netanyahu bloc has 53 seats, Eisenkot's 48; Arab parties surge to 19, timesofisrael.com
4. 'A government of paralysis': Ben-Gvir rejects unity with Eisenkot after election setback, ynetnews.com