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Political horse trading

- Horse-trading continues but Zuma is a hair's breadth ahead, MG.co.za, November 16, 2017.

2. In a surprise move following Israel’s parliamentary elections, centrist leader Yair Lapid said he would not join a bloc to prevent PM Netanyahu from forming a new government. Meanwhile the US renewed calls for new Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Lapid’s Yesh Atid party came second after Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitenu alliance in Tuesday’s vote, bringing hopes that the secular party may push changes in Israeli politics, potentially softening the current PM’s more hawkish stance in foreign policy.

In the run-up to Tuesday’s vote, Lapid had stated that he would only join a government that was committed to reviving the peace process with the Palestinians. Now he seems to have changed his stance, saying, “The outcome of the election is clear: we must work together.”

Rejecting overtures from the left to form a coalition that would deny Netanyahu’s premiership and obstruct the country's right-wing forces from forming a government, he said, “I want to take this off the table. We won’t create a blocking majority.”

With almost all votes counted, the right-wing and center-left blocs received 60 seats each in the Knesset. The Likud-Beitenu alliance led by Netanyahu and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman gained 31 seats, 11 fewer than both parties received in the 2009 election. The political newcomer Yesh Atid came second with 19 seats. It was followed by Labor, who got 15. The final results are expected to be announced Thursday….