This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Israelis have voted in a second election that has left the country in a political stalemate.

In the coming days, the president will consult party leaders before choosing the person he believes has the best chance of putting together a coalition.

There are several possible scenarios. Here are five popular theories:

National unity government

Benjamin Netanyahu has called on his rival Benny Gantz to join forcesto make a unity government. Gantz, however, has previously said he will not sit in a government with Netanyahu due to the corruption allegations against him. Also, it is not clear who would be prime minister. Gantz has not responded to Netanyahu’s offer yet.

Quick guide The police investigations swirling around Netanyahu Show Hide The Israeli PM is embroiled in four cases involving allegations of bribery and misconduct. He denies wrongdoing in every instance. Case 1000 is an investigation into gifts received on a regular basis by Netanyahu and his family from two wealthy businessmen, including cigars and pink champagne. Case 2000 is examining whether Netanyahu behaved improperly during a taped conversation with a newspaper publisher in which he appeared to try to negotiate more sympathetic coverage in return for lowering the circulation of a rival paper. Case 3000 is an inquiry into alleged kickbacks in a deal to buy German submarines. Netanyahu is not a suspect, but he was closely involved in the deal and the case has ensnared members of his inner circle.

Case 4000, the most serious, involves allegations that Netanyahu offered incentives to the Israeli telecoms company Bezeq in exchange for positive stories in an online news website it owns, Walla.

Netanyahu ousted by his own party

This is the dream scenario for Gantz, whereby the ruling Likud party sacrifices Netanyahu and joins the retired military general in government under a new leader.

Arab alliance recommends Gantz

The Joint List alliance of Arab parties looks likely to be the third-largest bloc in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. They abhor Gantz’s nationalist politics but could back him as a strategy to topple Netanyahu, who ran an especially anti-Arab campaign.

Netanyahu pulls rabbit from hat

Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has made it out of a lot of tight corners. He may still scrape together a majority with some sort of deal to lure smaller parties.

Repeat repeat elections

Neither party is able to forge a majority coalition government, and in several weeks, a third election is called. Everything is reset for a January poll that could be just as inconclusive.