After a dece of mesmerizing world leers, subduing his rivals and eking out dramatic election victories, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future is suddenly in doubt. With near-final results from Israel’s election on September 17, he has been left well short of parliamentary majority he h sought — t only to continue in power but also to fend off a looming corruption indictment. With over 90% of votes counted late Wednesday, challenger Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party captured 33 seats in 120-seat parliament, to 32 seats for Netanyahu’s conservative Likud.

That leaves neir party poised to control a majority coalition with ir smaller allies, leaving maverick politician Avigdor Lieberman, he of Yisrael Beitenu party, as key power broker. Lieberman has called for a bro unity government with two major parties. “Judging by present situation assessment, Netanyahu is longer capable of winning an election in Israel. This story is over,” said Yossi Verter, a political commentator for Haaretz daily. Such forecasts might be seen by some as premature. But it appears that Netanyahu’s political instincts, once deemed impeccable, led to some questionable decisions that came back to hurt him in latest campaign.

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Netanyahu forced to hold a second election in a year

Netanyahu, who turns 70 next month, has tritionally relied on a stable majority of ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious and hard-line nationalist parties. That alliance fell apart following elections in April when Lieberman, a longtime ally turned rival, refused to join a new coalition with religious partners. Lieberman, a hawk-like Netanyahu on security issues but also fiercely secular, said ultra-Orthodox parties h gained too much influence. Just short of a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu was forced to take unprecedented step of holding a second election in a year.

Looming over campaign were Netanyahu’s legal woes. Israel’s attorney general has recommended indicting him on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges in a series of corruption scandals, pending a hearing scheduled in early October. Netanyahu h hoped to capture a narrow coalition of hard-line parties that would grant him immunity from prosecution. He embarked on a campaign of stunts and promises aimed at shoring up his base. Borrowing tactics from political playbook of his friend, President Donald Trump, he lashed out at media, police, judiciary and election commission, alleging a vast conspiracy against him. He vowed to annex Jewish settlements in West Bank and threatened to unleash a war on Gaza militants.

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A drop of support for Netanyahu’s Likud party

He saved special vitriol for Israel’s Arab mirity, implying that y were a hostile fifth column out to destroy nation. He tried and failed, to pass legislation that would install monitoring cameras in voting booths as he me unfounded claims of fraud in Arab districts. An automated post on his Facebook p claimed Arabs “want to annihilate us all.” Arab leers accused Netanyahu of racism and trying to intimidate voters to stay home on election day. strategy appeared to backfire on many counts. latest election returns showed a drop of support for Netanyahu’s Likud party compared to April’s vote. results indicated that former Likud voters h migrated to or Jewish parties, including to Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu, which nearly doubled its representation. “He took polarization one step too far, and I think he’s going to pay price for it,” said Aron Shaviv, a campaign strategist who mand Netanyahu’s re-election campaign in 2015. Netanyahu’s attacks on Arabs were credited with driving a surge in turut in Arab towns.

Joint List, an alliance of Arab factions, gained at least two seats and is w poised to be a major player in next parliament, according to near-final results. “Incitement has a price,” said Ayman Odeh, leer of list. Yohanan Plesner, president of Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank, said attacks on country’s democratic institutions were too much for many Israelis.“It created a sense of urgency that se professional institutions of state are being undermined,” he said. Public fatigue with his leership may have ded to his woes. Many Israelis have grown weary of Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, and ir oldest son, Yair, who have gained a reputation of behaving more like a royal family than public servants. y have been embroiled in repeated scandals in which y allegedly mistreated employees, misused state funds or misbehaved in public.

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Netanyahu attacks Arab politicians

At a news conference on Wednesday, Netanyahu continued his attacks on Arab politicians and vowed to le country. “re are only two options: eir a government led by me or a dangerous government that leans on Arab parties,” he said. He said he h appointed a close Likud ally, Cabinet Minister Yariv Levin, to coordinate efforts with right-wing and religious partners. Likud lawmakers remained firmly behind ir leer, but his lever is limited. Without Lieberman, who refuses to sit in a government with religious parties, Netanyahu’s allies cant muster a majority. Blue and White party heed by Gantz, a former military chief of staff, has ruled out a partnership with Likud if Netanyahu stays at helm. And even if he mans to stay in office, he would t have immunity if charges are filed against him. If that happens, as is widely expected, he could be forced to step aside.

In a reflection of his predicament, officials in Netanyahu’s office anunced that he h called off a planned visit to New York, where he was scheduled to dress U.N. General Assembly and meet with Trump. officials spoke on condition of anymity pending an official anuncement. A lukewarm statement by Trump provided little support for embattled leer. “Our relationship is with Israel,” he said in California. “We’ll see what happens.”Ben Caspit, a columnist for Maariv daily, said Netanyahu’s chances of returning as prime minister are low. “He has thing that he can lever. He has one to exert pressure on. re are simply more rabbits left in his hat,” he said. “He’ll blame entire world, but he has only himself (and his wife) to blame. This phemenally talented man became dicted to power and rotted from inside out.”

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