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Good morning, friends! Prem here. I cannot stop thinking about Donald Trump screaming, “I love the meat! Ahhhh! I love it, look!” Other than that, it’s another great day to have a great day, and I’m glad you’re here to share it with me : )
In today’s ‘First Draft,’ we have a rundown of events in the Israeli elections so far, and what comes next. We also touch on some of the absurd commentary from pro-Israeli observers here in the U.S. Plus, far-right Brazilian loser Flávio Bolsonaro flees for U.S. soil while the U.S. president goes gaga on the campaign trail in Texas.
Let’s get into it.
A Sharp Rebuke
Throughout the entire day on Tuesday, the Twitter feed of Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the “only democracy in the Middle East,” was filled with desperate pleas, warning Israeli Jews that Arabs were turning out in record numbers.
It wasn’t just Arabs or, more accurately, Palestinian citizens of Israel. Turnout in the Israeli election was 77.7%, the highest since 1999. The voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Netanyahu, but what happens next is up in the air.
As of 12:20 local time (10:20 GMT), the Netanyahu-led bloc of parties had lost about 14 seats, with the collective holding onto 54 seats, per partial results from Israel’s Central Elections Committee. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot netted 47 seats. Arab-led parties secured 19 seats, almost doubling the 10 they previously held.
To secure a majority, 61 seats or more are needed.
Now, a few things will happen.