Israel Faces Political Deadlock After Netanyahu's Better Than Expected Comeback, Trump Hails 'Win'

At over 84% of the vote counted - or more than four million - both main rival parties have fallen short of achieving a majority in parliament and therefore a mandate to govern.

However, by all accounts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party has performed better than expected, despite huge turnout in Arab-Israeli districts among voters who want to see him gone. According to the latest of the vote tally via Israeli media: With 84% of ballots counted, pro-Netanyahu bloc at 54 seats, Eisenkot-led bloc at 49, Arab parties at 17. 

So it will be deadlocked, and whoever emerges as prime minister will likely have to seek alliances with the two Arab parties - a scenario already subject of wide pressure and denunciations. 

While there's not likely to be a prime minister anytime soon, the NY Times reports that "Some of Mr. Netanyahu’s allies are floating the idea that he could join Mr. Eisenkot and other centrists to form a broad unity government." And "For Mr. Netanyahu, who remains as a caretaker prime minister until a government is formed, that would be a comfortable scenario, as long as he remained on top."

On the dilemma of dealing with the non-Jewish parties in what is essentially a state build on an ethno-religion:

Mr. Eisenkot faces a thorny dilemma: he has denounced Mr. Netanyahu as unfit to lead Israel, but he has also objected to partnering with Arab parties in a potential coalition. The two Arab parties are projected to win as many as 18 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s Parliament — a remarkable show of strength that could make them Mr. Eisenkot’s only path to toppling Mr. Netanyahu.

Eisenkot has vowed to build "a stable Zionist government" and on the night of the vote vowed to replace Netanyahu's rule. A final tally could take days, even if most of the vote is expected to be in by Wednesday.