The voting is over, the ballots are counted and the ultimate outcome of this week’s Israeli elections is, quite simply, no outcome at all. With neither political bloc coming anywhere near the majority required to form a government, the nation finds itself suspended in a familiar state of political limbo. For those who poured immense energy into driving political change, the result carries a bitter taste – particularly for the tens of thousands of voters who flew in from across the globe just to cast their ballots.

“Right after the elections, what I felt was sheer disappointment,” said Doron, a voter who traveled from Switzerland to participate in the vote. “After all that has happened here for the past few years and all the huge failures, I expected the public to take a stronger stand and to hold this government responsible for the huge suffering that the country went through.”

Yet as party leaders survey the mathematical reality of the parliament, the path forward appears fraught with ideological contradictions.

In theory, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot could assemble a governing coalition if he aligns with the Arab political parties, which enjoyed notable success at the polling stations. In practice, however, Eisenkot and other prominent party leaders within his bloc have repeatedly vowed not to rely on Arab parties to form a government.

On the streets of Tel Aviv, however, many voters within his camp hold a different view.

“Why not include the Arab population in the government or in the coalition and make changes?” asked Rivi, a Tel Aviv resident. “They are citizens here. For me, they are even better than the anti-Zionist groups that are active inside Israel.”

Another theoretical path out of the impasse is a broad unity government between Eisenkot and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But for many voters seeking change, that option is equally hard to swallow.

“Unity with Netanyahu is impossible because he proved time and time again that he cannot be trusted,” Doron noted.

As coalition talks intensify behind closed doors, external pressure may soon begin to shape the negotiations.

“I think the pressure from the American side would be both to establish a coalition relatively quickly so US president Donald Trump can move on with his agenda, but at the same time establish a coalition that does not endorse extremist right-wing elements such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Moshe Feiglin,” explained Prof. Udi Sommer, a political analyst at Tel Aviv University. “To a large extent, I think this is an argument that could be supported by the verdict of the Israeli voters.”

The coming days will prove decisive. Next week, once the Central Election Committee formally certifies the official final results, party delegates will head to the President’s Residence to meet with President Isaac Herzog. There, each faction will officially endorse their preferred candidate to receive the mandate to form the next coalition.

Only then will Israelis find out whether their leaders can walk the political tightrope or if the country remains locked in a stalemate.