Jacobin Radio

Suzi talks to Tel Aviv University professor Yoav Peled, whose latest book is The Religionization of Israeli Society, about the still unclear outcome of the September 17 Israeli election — the second election this year. Likud prime minister Bibi Netanyahu got thirty-two seats and Benny Gantz of Blue and White got thirty-three, but so far Netanyahu has not been able to form a coalition that would get the 61 seats out of 120 needed to rule, and the clock is ticking toward the October 24 deadline. Secular far-right nationalist Avigdor Lieberman refuses to form a coalition with Netanyahu  (unless he can be acting PM) and Netanyahu needs the immunity granted to the PM from the indictments he faces. If neither Netanyahu nor Gantz succeed in forming a governing coalition, there could yet be a third election, in a single year. Yoav Peled explains the election results, what could happen next — and how we should understand the continuing ascendancy of the Israeli far right.