Neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot won a majority in Israel’s Parliament, leaving both with a chance to form a government. Our Jerusalem bureau chief, David M. Halbfinger, explains the possible coalitions and the obstacles to an opposition alliance that could include Arab parties.

The Arab parties have long been kept on the political sidelines. But stunning turnout by their supporters makes the Arab minority an Israeli political reality that cannot be ignored.

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Votes are still being counted, but it appears that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition nor the opposition alliance headed by Gadi Eisenkot will have a majority.

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A day after the election, supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were relieved he still had a chance to stay in power, while his opponents worried the mixed results could lead to a political stalemate.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost some support from voters, but preliminary results suggest he has multiple ways to remain in power given the country’s fractured politics.

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To form a government, Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot needs to either join forces with Arab parties — anathema to many Israelis — or with members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance.

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Votes are still being counted, and much is in flux. But as the stage was set for bitter talks over forming a government, nearly all sides could face disappointment.

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Few countries in the Middle East expect a turning point in relations with Israel. But the outcome of the vote has implications for the regional conflict with Iran.

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Once the midterms are over, Trump will be free to pursue vendetta politics. But with will and diplomacy, he can be reined in

As another Iran catastrophe looms, one question matters more than any other: how to stop it before it’s too late? Whatever the eventual outcome of Israel’s election and next week’s US midterm polls, Donald Trump, playing the Lone Ranger, and Benjamin Netanyahu, his badass Tonto, appear hell-bent on resuming the illegal war of choice they began in June last year and expanded in February. Like a Shakespearean tragedy moving inexorably to a bloody denouement, the worst is yet to come. And yet three things seem certain: the US and Israel will again fail to totally destroy Iran’s largely hypothetical nuclear capabilities; its regime will survive; and millions of ordinary people, there and around the world, will pay the price for this unjustified, reckless aggression.

Ducking and weaving, Trump is desperate to dodge the blame for the Republicans’ anticipated midterm meltdown, largely triggered by war-related fuel and consumer price inflation. He claimed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries were responsible, but that didn’t wash. He cut a treacherous diesel deal with Vladimir Putin but, as usual, Russia’s smirking mafioso conned him. He urged US allies to tap their strategic reserves but, unsurprisingly, vilified and sidelined European leaders, who view his war as an unmitigated disaster and declined to bail him out. Trump also reportedly rebuffed last-gasp, electorally driven pressure from Netanyahu to hit Iran this month, fearful it would unleash a Democratic tsunami.

Simon Tisdall is a Guardian foreign affairs commentator

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© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

© Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The president has a largely ceremonial role, except after elections when it is his responsibility to pick a candidate for prime minister.

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Voters supporting two leading Arab parties turned out in record numbers to voice their opposition to the Netanyahu government in Tuesday’s election.

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The country’s most popular politician, María Corina Machado, has returned home from exile. What happens next?

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Polls have closed across the country. Exit polls may offer clues about the direction of the voting but not necessarily a clear winner.

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A bloc of opposition parties held a lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, according to exit polls. But it could take weeks or even months to form a new government.

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The election on Tuesday is unlikely to yield quick answers about who might lead the next government.

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The new book by the reporter Matthew Cole connects $2 billion in slush funds from Gulf state leaders to Trump’s son-in-law in an effort to influence U.S. policy.

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Anger has focused on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has become a political lightning rod in the United States, and the high death toll in Gaza.

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Election observers point to risks including the growing sophistication and prevalence of A.I.-generated content and senior government officials who have repeatedly suggested the results could be rigged.

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The political evolutions of Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister, and Avigdor Liberman, a former defense minister, are indicative of how Benjamin Netanyahu has polarized Israel.

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Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich lead ultranationalist parties that previously joined forces, in deals brokered by Benjamin Netanyahu. They are not on the same slate this time.

© Pool photo by Maya Alleruzzo

Benjamin Netanyahu is in the fight of his political life. Voters in Israel are heading to the polls on Tuesday to decide an election that could determine whether Netanyahu will remain the country's prime minister (and affect the outcome of the corruption charges against him). But the Israeli election also arrives at a time when voters around the world seem to be rejecting authoritarianism. A student-run movement stunned the world on Sunday when its candidates routed Serbia's long-serving leader, Aleksandar Vučić. That same day, Brazilians beat back a campaign by Flávio Bolsonaro – the son of Jair Bolsonaro, the disgraced former president – in a historic upset. Carter Sherman speaks to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent, about how these four elections could reshape the political world order in just 10 days, and why the upcoming US midterm elections are the biggest test for global democracy.

• Julian Borger on 10 days that could shake the world

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© Photograph: Grid

© Photograph: Grid

© Photograph: Grid

Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday for an election that will determine the country’s next prime minister. But it can take weeks, months or longer to form a new government.

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New political alliances, a contentious A.I. video and accusations about security failures all featured in the run-up to Tuesday’s election, widely seen as one of the most consequential in Israeli history.

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As Israel votes, ever more strident hard-right views compete with hopes for a diverse land. The outcome could shape the country’s identity for years.

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Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has long sold himself as the best politician to manage relations with America. Our reporter Mark Mazzetti describes how that alliance is now under strain as support for Israel erodes across party lines.

As the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan seeks to overcome intraparty tensions, his opponent in the primary, Haley Stevens, said a PAC’s ad was “fearmongering about Israel.”

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Israel’s military chief resisted the prime minister, who then pressed in recent days for a separate action, short of an overt strike, according to an official and a person briefed on the matter.

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The panel also accuses Israel of committing crimes against humanity in the West Bank. Israel condemned the report.

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Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan made a rare joint visit to Tehran amid reports that the U.S. and Israel were drawing up plans to renew their attacks on Iran.

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Gadi Eisenkot has emerged as Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opponent in the upcoming elections. The New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief, David Halbfinger, describes why Mr. Eisenkot is resonating with Israeli voters.

Supporters and opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have expressed intense anxieties about isolation abroad, security at home and the future of Israel’s identity.

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The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni militia, launched several deadly attacks on the airport this month.

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The return of thousands of Israeli expats to vote in their country’s tight election has set off debate over their political influence. We traveled to Tel Aviv to find out why.

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Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday for an election that will determine the country’s next prime minister. But it can take weeks, months or longer to form a new government.

© Amir Cohen/Reuters

With new intelligence and the possibility of all sides seeking pretexts for action, the war in Iran is entering a dangerous phase ahead of elections in the United States and Israel.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

The United States and Israel have drawn up plans to renew strikes against Iran, creating a sense of dread among war-weary residents.

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Hundreds of Palestinian families fled their homes as the Israeli military raided Hebron. The operation came a day after Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers.

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The Oct. 7 attacks marred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s image as Mr. Security. Ahead of elections, he’s trying to sell Israelis on the new, hawkish version of himself.

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This year’s olive harvest in the Israeli-occupied West Bank is the most violent in years, as settlers have attacked farmers and besieged homes, drawing condemnation from U.S. officials and others.

Sarah Helm, who is married to Britain’s national security adviser, posted of her support for the author Sally Rooney and a banned pro-Palestinian activist group. A furor ensued.

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The Israeli military said two soldiers and two attackers had been killed, and three soldiers wounded. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to launch a major offensive in the Israeli-occupied territory.

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Mr. Eisenkot, an ex-military chief leading in the polls, calls the Israeli prime minister an “anti-leader.” But his low-key campaigning style is worrying supporters.

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The win is a show of support for the International Criminal Court as the Trump administration moves to thwart its work.

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Renewed hostilities might not be any more successful than the war’s first phase, and President Trump has repeatedly canceled plans for a return to major combat.

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Many in Gaza and the West Bank are desperate to avoid more years of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, which has made life close to unbearable.

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Here’s what we need to do to stand up for international law

Many applauded when Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel peace prize. The South African human rights lawyer had chaired the UN commission of inquiry that found Israel to have committed genocide in Gaza and served for five years as a judge on the international criminal court (ICC).

Donald Trump responded a few hours later by imposing sanctions on the ICC. He chose a moment for celebrating the rule of law to try to undermine it.

Kenneth Roth is a Guardian US columnist, a senior fellow at Yale University and a former executive director of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments

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© Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

© Photograph: Finn Gomez/Getty Images

Thousands of Israelis living in the United States are expected to fly to Israel to vote in the country’s national election this month.

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Israel has faced pressure, including from the United States, to investigate the attacks. Rights groups say most inquiries into extremist assaults on Palestinians go nowhere.

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President Trump said Benjamin Netanyahu was a “Great Warrior,” as he faces a tough re-election bid for prime minister. But the Trump brand is not what it once was in Israel, analysts say.

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