Israel’s elections: Netanyahu wants more than victory; he wants to stop others from governing

Opinion polls in Israel tell us many things, but they do not tell the whole story. Sometimes Netanyahu’s bloc appears close to returning to power. At other times, the “change” bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot moves ahead.  But behind these changing numbers lies a more important reality: neither Netanyahu nor his opponents have an easy path to forming a government. This is where the crisis begins. The problem is not just the number of seats. It is who can turn those seats into a government. Netanyahu knows that his bloc may not reach 61 seats. So his goal is no longer simply to win a clear majority. It is also to stop his opponents from building a majority that can […]