Israel’s fractured Knesset and DOJ’s California subpoenas mark a volatile political weekend
Israel faces a coalition crisis after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, falling short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Arab-led parties secured a historic 19 seats, positioning them as potential kingmakers, while Netanyahu publicly barred alliances with them. Simultaneously, the U.S. Justice Department escalated its scrutiny of California elections by issuing grand jury subpoenas to Los Angeles County officials, demanding their appearance on November 4. This move follows a federal judge’s rejection of the administration’s bid to segregate ballots allegedly cast by noncitizens. In other news, blockchain firms linked a $6.3 billion hack on Binance to North Korean actors, with the exchange freezing $3 billion in assets.