'No majority, no peace' - Police drag Tel Aviv protesters away amid election deadlock
Israeli police dragged protesters off the streets of Tel Aviv on Wednesday as demonstrations demanding a Jewish-Arab coalition government intensified following an inconclusive general election.
Footage showed demonstrators chanting, blocking traffic and staging a sit-in near Mesila Park before officers moved in and forcibly removed several protesters.
Hundreds reportedly joined similar demonstrations in Jerusalem and Haifa, calling for political cooperation between Jewish and Arab parties to break the parliamentary deadlock.
The protests followed early election projections suggesting Arab-led parties could secure 17 seats in Israel's 120-member Knesset, potentially giving them a decisive role in forming the next government.
Partial results released on Wednesday showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc projected to win 54 seats, compared with 49 for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's alliance.
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With 84.5% of ballot boxes counted, neither bloc had secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
Voter turnout reached 77.7%, reportedly the highest since 1999, in Israel's first general election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the subsequent wars.
The inconclusive results have left Israel facing coalition negotiations as rival political blocs seek a path to forming the next government.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
