An inconclusive outcome in Israel's general elections may lead to a prolonged period of coalition horse-trading to form a majority government, which, if unsuccessful, will result in fresh elections. In the meantime, Netanyahu's caretaker government will lobby the United States intensely for renewed attacks on Iran. On Oct. 27, Israelis went to the polls for the first time in four years in a hotly contested election widely seen as a referendum on longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. Although not all votes have been counted yet, it appears that neither of the obvious political blocs led by Netanyahu or his main challenger, former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff General Gadi Eisenkot, will win enough seats in the 120-seat Knesset to form a stable coalition.