India, Oct. 28 -- After Tuesday's deadlocked election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, each need support from beyond their own blocs to govern Israel.

The deals they can or cannot strike in the coming weeks will decide whether the country gets a new government or another election.

Exit polls left both leaders' blocs around 10 seats short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The Arab-led parties, projected to win 17 to 19 seats beyond the two blocs, have offered to back Eisenkot from outside a coalition, though he has not committed to governing with them. Netanyahu has ruled them out, and a deal between the two key contenders would require him to drop his...