Vote counting in Israel’s elections is complete, and neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition has secured a majority in parliament, Israeli media have said. The provisional results were published on Thursday, and opposition politicians gathered the same day to explore possible coalition arrangements.
With more than 99 percent of Tuesday’s ballots counted, Netanyahu’s bloc held 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats, according to figures cited by Israeli media. The Arab list parties took a combined 19 seats.
Seat totals leave Knesset without a clear majority
Neither side reached the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. The final results are due to be certified and announced by Wednesday, and until then the figures remain open to change.
Also read: Israeli election exit polls indicate no clear winner · Israel heads to a tight election with deep divisions at home
Tuesday’s vote was the first since the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel and the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, which critics have described as genocidal. Many observers viewed the ballot as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership.
- Netanyahu’s bloc: 53 seats
- Opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot: 48 seats
- Arab list parties: 19 seats combined
- Majority threshold: 61 seats
Opposition weighs coalition options with Arab-led parties
On Thursday, Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party, met former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the Together party. According to a statement cited by Ynet News, the pair discussed forming a new government “as quickly as possible”.
Eisenkot also met Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party. Golan is the only member of the opposition alliance willing to consider a coalition with parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel, while every other political group has rejected such a partnership. Golan then met Mansour Abbas, who leads the United Arab List, or Ra’am, a party projected to win seven of the 19 Arab seats.
After meeting Abbas, Golan posted on X: “This is a time for action. Our responsibility is not to miss the opportunity for change and the salvation of Israel.”
Correspondent Nour Odeh, reporting from the occupied West Bank, said that “Eisenkot has an uphill battle ahead of him.” She noted that Eisenkot has pledged “not to ally himself or get into a partnership with the Palestinian Israeli parties”. Because no bloc holds a majority, however, she said the opposition cannot form a governing coalition without the support of Arab-led parties.
Allegations of foreign interference draw scrutiny
Netanyahu’s Likud party has continued to promote claims that Arab-led parties had “stolen” the election, possibly with foreign help. Those claims have been rejected, and the allegations remain unsubstantiated.
The head of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, said he had received a letter to the Shin Bet security agency raising “serious suspicions” of foreign interference. Sohlberg said he could not verify the claims, but because of their seriousness he asked the agency to investigate.
Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of trying to undermine confidence in the results. In a video posted to his X account, he said that “the days of Netanyahu using state institutions against Israeli interests for his personal needs are over”, adding that no “spin” could alter voters’ rejection of the government at the polls.
Political analyst Xavier Abu Eid told that Netanyahu “is not satisfied with the results”. He said it seemed unlikely the opposition could overcome its differences with Arab-led groups, but an understanding to replace the current Knesset speaker, who is close to Netanyahu, was possible. Abu Eid argued that a new speaker would cost Netanyahu an important ally and could open the way for the opposition to pass legislation against him.
Odeh said the next phase would involve negotiations between political groups once the Central Elections Committee announces and certifies the results by Wednesday.
