On April 9, 2019, Professor Steven Spiegel, the Director of the UCLA Center for Middle East Development (CMED) was asked his initial thoughts and analysis on the Israeli elections in April 2019.You can listen to the radio clip here (https: //www.international.ucla.edu/cmed/article/202615), and read along with the transcript below:

Polls have closed in Israel in a razor thin contest for the next prime minister.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former General Benny Gantz both claimed victory in Israeli elections, but TV exit polls show the race is too close to call. Both men will lead the biggest parties in Parliament, but according to two exit polls, Netanyahu appears to be in a stronger position to form a new right wing government. Robert Berger. CBS News. Jerusalem.

Steven Spiegel's at UCLA, the Center for Middle East Development. He tells KNX with the two candidates locked in the dead heat it is time for the wheeling and dealing. "They need 61 seats to form a government. So they got to get other parties. Very democratic. Not always so efficient, so they got to get other parties that, if they have 32 or 33 or 29 or whatever, to join with them to get 61 seats and that's where it gets really wild." He says it could take a couple weeks for either candidate to form a coalition government. His bet is on Netanyahu to end up on top.