Israel's Caretaker PM Benjamin..............>

MIDEAST: Israel's Caretaker PM Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party appear to have

won a plurality of the 120 seats in the Knesset according to partial results.

- Neither the right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu, nor the centrist coalition

under Blue & White (B&W) leader Benny Gantz appear to have won a majority.

- Projections: Likud coalition 59 seats, B&W coalition 54, Yisrael Beiteinu 7 

- This will leave Avigdor Lieberman's secular nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu (YB)

as the kingmakers. Lieberman has pledged that the country will not be forced to

hold a 4th set of elections following inconclusive votes in Apr and Sep 2019.

- YB previously worked with Likud, but withdrew from gov't in Nov-18 over

ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. Party takes hardline defence stance and opposes

military exemption for Orthodox Jews.

- Any efforts by Likud to form gov't likely to be hindered by Netanyahu's

corruption trial, starting 17 March. 

- Seemingly intractable problem in forming gov't: Yisrael Beiteinu won't work

with Orthodox parties (which would be part of Likud gov't) but also will not

work with Arab 'Joint List' party (which would be part of B&W gov't).