Israel election leaves Netanyahu without majority; Arab parties hold balance

Final results from Israel's election gave Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition grouping 48, with Palestinian-led parties winning a record 19, so neither side reaches the 61 needed to govern. Netanyahu has claimed, without evidence, that the election was "stolen", while police and the elections committee found no fraud. The outcome leaves the state that is central to biblical prophecy facing weeks of coalition bargaining, deep internal division and uncertainty over its direction on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.