And there are some whose defections will not attract the strict terms of the defector draft rules. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Likud party leaders have zeroed in on some potential defectors, who would find reasonable trade-off benefits in backing Netanyahu despite the sanctions they could face. Netanyahu's path to introducing a new government is not that clear and is not secure,' Plesner said, according to The Globe and Mail. Besides, a government formed with the help of defectors will be unstable, he says.

The punitive steps against defectors include being denied ministership and a range of restrictions when it comes to standing in future elections. He points out that parliamentarians who cross the floor will face sanctions. According to Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, Netanyahu's efforts to win defectors will face challenges. Israel has well defined conventions when it comes to drafting defectors after an election. What is the Israeli system of co-opting defectors? Some of the Knesset members whose names have been bandied out as possible defectors have already vehemently denied hobnobbing with the Likud leaders. Under the Israeli system, crossing floors after an election is not easy though not impossible. He added that Netanyahu will form a coalition government within a few days.īenny Gantz, leader of Blue and White Wikimedia Commons Is winning deserters' support easy? Likud spokesman Yonatan Urich told Channel 13 that the party is in touch with of 'four to six' parliamentarians from other parties. Likud lawmkers and party officials have already started efforts to win the support of key deserters. This is not easy even though Netanyahu's former associates and colleagues have won from other parties this time. The only way for Netahnyahu and the Likud to form the next government is by successfully wooing at least three defectors from other parties. Though this process us cumbersome under Israeli rules, Netanyahu could still finally prevail given the general mood of aversion against continued uncertainty and a fourth general election. This leaves the Likud coalition the option to win over at least three defectors from other parties. The Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, whose party has won 33 seats, has rebuffed an offer for forming a unity coalition government. Why Netanyahu is likely to form government However, the official results will be announced only on March 10. This tally will be announced on Wednesday night but is not expected to change from the current projections. The final tally is confirmed when 100 percent of votes including the 'double-envelope' votes from defence personnel, diplomats, patients, prisoners and the like, are counted. These are final numbers, but not official. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party won 9 seats in Monday's election.

The Arab parties coalition, the Joint List, managed to win 15 Knesset seats, one less than than the previous election tally. Labor-Gesher-Meretz also won seven seats, as did United Torah Judaism (UTJ). Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu won seven seats, the same number it got in the last election. Benny Gabntz's Blue and White won 33 seats, one more than the 32 they got in the previous election. While Likud won a total of 36 seats, its allies - Shas, UTJ and Yamina - have won the rest. Netanyahu's Likud party and its allies have won 58 seats, three short of the majority.

Omer yankelevich