Friday Focus: The backroom battle for Israel’s future and an exclusive interview with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert

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Benjamin Netanyahu has emerged with the largest party in the Knesset, but the result is a hung parliament and an uncertain path to forming a government. Why did the polls and political analysts get his prospects so wrong? What follows will likely be weeks of cutthroat coalition negotiations and backroom political manoeuvring, all against the backdrop of a possible joint US-Israeli strike on Iran.

In the second half, Rudyard is joined by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to discuss the election results and what comes next. Who does Olmert think will ultimately emerge victorious? He is optimistic that a clear majority voted against Netanyahu’s government and that Arab parties must have a place in whatever government emerges, warning that another election in the spring would be deeply damaging to Israel.