Israelis rally for Jewish-Arab government after election gains

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Israel's election leaves no clear winner as Arab parties emerge as pivotal

Late on Tuesday and into Wednesday, counting showed Netanyahu's Likud and its allies set for 53 of 120 Knesset seats with 85% of ballots counted, short of a majority. Final results reported by one outlet say his coalition lost its mandate and the opposition has a majority, but most Jewish opposition parties rule out governing with Arab-led parties. Two Arab-majority parties are set to win a combined 19 seats amid record turnout. On Wednesday, Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv for a Jewish-Arab government. Official results are due on November 4.

• Netanyahu's bloc is projected at 53 seats; he called a coalition with Arab parties 'a disgrace and a shame'.
• Balad's leader called the opposition bloc's refusal to ally with Arab parties racist.
• Analysts describe possible outcomes including Netanyahu staying on as caretaker or new elections.
• Israel's Tel Aviv 125 index fell more than 2 percent as exit polls showed no clear winner.