Video taking off 105x its usual first day

Why Netanyahu could stay despite losing his majority

FRONTLINE's James Jacoby explains the coalition choices facing Gadi Eisenkot, where each route carries a political cost.

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FRONTLINE PBS | Official Story of November 2, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 606,732 views a day, 105 times a normal first day on this channel (5,778).

Israeli Election, Explained

Israeli voters have cast their ballots, but choosing a parliament does not automatically settle who will lead the government. That distinction is the starting point for James Jacoby's brisk FRONTLINE explainer, "Israeli Election, Explained."

The Short passed 700,000 views within 36 hours, an exceptionally fast start for the channel's short-form reporting. Its estimated first-day audience was more than a hundred times the usual size for FRONTLINE's Shorts.

"Here's the thing about Israeli elections, you don't vote for a person, you vote for a party," Jacoby explains. Governing requires a parliamentary majority, usually assembled through agreements between parties. In the result he describes, neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, has enough allies to reach that majority.

Arab parties gained seats and could help determine who governs. But Netanyahu has ruled out partnering with them, while Eisenkot has previously said working with them conflicted with his principles.

Jacoby sets out Eisenkot's options: cooperate with Arab parties despite a potential backlash from voters, form a unity government with Netanyahu despite his campaign promise not to, or do neither.

That last choice is the explanation behind the video's opening question. Jacoby says continued deadlock would mean another election, with Netanyahu remaining prime minister in the meantime. Losing a parliamentary majority and leaving office are not necessarily the same event.

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