Israel’s election has not broken the deadlock

As went to press, there was no clear winner of Israel’s parliamentary election, held on March 23rd. The parties expected to support a government led by Binyamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister, are unlikely to win a majority of seats in the Knesset (Israel’s 120-seat parliament). But none of his rivals seems to have the support of a majority either. Political stalemate is nothing new for Israel. It has held four elections in less than two years, each failing to produce a stable government. A new election, which would be held this summer, is a distinct possibility. For the latest analysis of the Israeli election, go to Economist.com.