Israel election by the numbers: who might form the next government?

Israel has voted and neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition or Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc are going to secure the 61 seats required to form government .

One of the two blocs will now need to begin the long and complicated task of negotiations between the smaller factional parties to form a government. Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, will decide who gets the first chance to do so.

This could involve the Arab parties, who may hold the balance of power . Whether either bloc would welcome an Arab-aligned party into their coalition, however, remains to be seen.