Can Netanyahu Hold On?

Host Luke Vargas asks WSJ reporter Anat Peled about the overnight election results from Netanyahu’s headquarters in Jerusalem. With slightly more than half the votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc is ahead with a preliminary total in the mid-50s, while the opposition bloc led by his chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, has about 49 seats. Neither is close to the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, so the election remains deadlocked. Netanyahu is nevertheless performing better than the exit polls initially suggested. Peled says the mood at Netanyahu’s headquarters changed dramatically during the night. The evening began quietly, with relatively few activists and many journalists waiting for results. When exit polls at 10 p.m. showed a slight opposition lead, the atmosphere remained subdued. As ballots were counted and Netanyahu’s bloc moved ahead, activists and ministers arrived, and the event turned into a celebration with chants, dancing and loud music. Netanyahu spoke at about 3 a.m., calling the results “merely a prelude” and saying he wanted to work with his “wonderful friend President Trump” to eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all.

Vargas asks about turnout, and Peled reports that more than 77% of eligible voters participated—the highest turnout since 1999. Arab-Israeli communities were especially important. Arab citizens have sometimes boycotted elections or participated less actively, but this time they turned out in very high numbers. Peled notes the contrast with Netanyahu’s previous warning to his supporters that “the Arabs are coming out in droves,” a message he used to motivate right-wing voters. In this election, Arab voters did in fact come out in large numbers. That turnout may not translate into a governing coalition because some opposition parties have said they will not sit with Arab parties or depend on their support. Peled says the opposition is fragmented and will have to reckon with that result. Opposition campaigners argued that Netanyahu had failed on October 7, presided over a security failure during his roughly 19 years in office on and off, undermined democratic institutions and prolonged wars for political gain. The election showed that those arguments did not persuade everyone: Israel is bitterly divided over Netanyahu’s leadership, and the opposition may be unable to form a majority without partners it has ruled out.

Vargas asks what happens if neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot can assemble a coalition. Peled says that would leave Israel in a dangerous position because the country is simultaneously dealing with a messy security environment and possible escalation with Iran. She says the United States and Israel are preparing options for strikes against Iran, and that President Trump has told some allies to prepare for a short, intense campaign after the U.S. midterm elections. Without a clear prime minister, sensitive negotiations over Gaza, Iran and the country’s broader security policy could become more difficult. Peled says Netanyahu might use the Iranian threat as leverage to push for a unity government; some analysts believe he could try to force political cooperation by emphasizing the danger. The episode then reports that the U.S. and Israel are considering a major escalation intended to push Iran toward negotiations. Trump has not made a final decision but is said to be leaning toward a large attack on Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites. The alternative would be a diplomatic deal, but regional mediation efforts have not produced one. The White House declined to comment on potentially sensitive military plans while saying all options remain on the table.

The program reports that the Trump administration plans to issue visas to defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro and his family, according to two State Department officials. The development follows reports that Brazilian authorities were investigating whether Bolsonaro had left the country after defying a Supreme Court order to surrender his passport. He is facing two investigations into alleged financial crimes involving online betting and the financing of a film about his father, Jair Bolsonaro. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former right-wing president, was convicted and sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing an election. President Trump and his allies have been vocal supporters of the Bolsonaro family. On Sunday, Trump also questioned Brazil’s election results, saying they appeared rigged. Flavio Bolsonaro’s spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. The segment presents the visa plan as another sign of the Trump administration’s support for the family while Brazilian legal proceedings continue.

Trump appeared at a Texas rally supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, while Democrat James Talarico held an event only three miles away. Talarico argued that Texans cannot afford basic necessities such as gas, groceries and health care because “the system has been rigged by billionaires and crooked politicians like Ken Paxton.” The race is on track to become the most expensive Senate contest in history, with spending expected to exceed half a billion dollars. Talarico has maintained a narrow polling lead and has described the contest as a David-and-Goliath fight. Talarico also criticized Elon Musk for spending millions to support Paxton. With energy costs central to the campaign, Trump announced plans to dismantle Biden-era rules limiting methane emissions from oil and gas operations. He predicted that gasoline and diesel prices would “come plummeting down” quickly. Large oil and gas producers have supported federal methane regulations, while smaller domestic-focused producers say compliance costs are too high. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the rollback, including the elimination of a program identifying major methane leaks, would save $45 billion. Scientists and environmental groups counter that methane reductions are essential to fighting climate change and that weaker rules would increase pollution and endanger communities near oil and gas sites.

Markets were mostly higher ahead of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision, with traders pricing in a 90% chance that the central bank would leave rates unchanged. The strongest corporate update came from South Korean memory-chip maker SK Hynix, a key supplier to Nvidia. Its third-quarter net profit tripled from a year earlier to roughly 30 billion won, revenue quadrupled to a record, and operating profit increased about sevenfold to another all-time high. Shares rose more than 10%. SK Hynix executives said supplies of DRAM and high-bandwidth memory used in AI data centers were effectively sold out through 2029. They also expected the memory shortage to continue into 2030, arguing that AI investment would persist because spending on infrastructure was driving wider use of AI services and producing tangible business results. The company announced a shareholder-return package totaling about 100 trillion won, or roughly $75 billion, lifting rival Samsung as well. Samsung and SK Hynix together account for nearly half of South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index, which rose about 6%. Despite the results, reporter G. Young Sohn says investors remain uneasy about overall AI spending and valuations. SK Hynix recently abandoned plans to take its U.S. flash-memory subsidiary, Solidigm, public, citing volatile market conditions and share-price trends. Regulators and existing SK Hynix shareholders also opposed the IPO because they feared it would dilute the value of the parent company’s stock. Other earnings were mixed: UBS, Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Danone and Unilever reported positive updates; Stellantis maintained guidance as cost-cutting began to help; and Mercedes-Benz warned about China and higher materials costs while offering buyouts to support staff. Alphabet, Microsoft and Ford were due to report after the close.

The final segment shifts to a conflict among dog trainers. Jamie Waters reports that one camp consists of “positive” trainers who emphasize praise, while the “balanced” camp uses a wider range of motivators and tools. The disagreement has existed for decades but has become more heated through social media. Several trainers compared it with arguments over raising children, especially debates about punishment, discipline and whether parents spoil their children. Waters says the dispute is especially emotional because many people now regard dogs as family members. Arguments about whether to punish or spoil them therefore feel like arguments about the proper treatment of beloved relatives. Her reporting found no sign that the two camps are moving toward a consensus. Instead, each side portrays the other in extreme terms: one trainer said one camp calls the other “the devil,” while the opposing side responds by calling its critics “treat-seeking wieners.” Vargas laughs at the phrase and says he is glad Waters delivered it rather than leaving him to say it.