Jerusalem: Israel’s Central Elections Committee on Friday released the final results of the national election, confirming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc has fallen short of the majority needed to form the next government, despite his Likud party emerging as the largest party in the 26th Knesset.
The pro-Netanyahu bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member parliament, while the anti-Netanyahu camp won 48 seats. Arab parties collectively secured 19 seats, leaving the political landscape divided and government formation uncertain.
According to the final tally, Likud secured 27 seats, followed by the Yashar party with 21. B’Yachad won 12 seats, while the Joint List secured 11.
The Democrats and Ra’am won eight seats each. Yisrael Beytenu, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit secured seven seats apiece, while Shas and Religious Zionism won six seats each.
Voter turnout stood at 77.9%, with 5,716,665 ballots cast. However, three smaller political groups failed to cross Israel’s 3.25% electoral threshold. The Reservists received 2.7% of the vote, People of Israel secured 1.7%, and Charedi Public managed just 0.2%.
The final official results will be submitted to President Isaac Herzog on November 4 after the committee completes its examination of potential errors and related inquiries. The newly elected Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10.
Government Formation Remains Uncertain
With neither major political camp securing a majority, attention has now shifted to the negotiations and political manoeuvring that will determine Israel’s next government.
Herzog is expected to consult representatives of the political parties before deciding which candidate has the strongest prospects of assembling a governing coalition. If the first nominee fails to form a government, another candidate could be given an opportunity. Failure to complete the process within the stipulated timeframe could eventually lead to fresh elections.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who leads Religious Zionism-Zehut, reportedly held discussions to coordinate their next moves following the election, according to Hebrew media reports cited by The Times of Israel.
On the opposition side, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot faces the challenge of bringing together parties with differing political positions. A minority government led by Eisenkot with external support from Arab parties appears unlikely.
Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas reportedly expressed doubts about such an arrangement during a meeting with party members, according to Channel 12 News, as cited by The Times of Israel.
The Jewish-led opposition bloc failed to secure a majority independently, while only The Democrats have indicated openness to including Arab-majority parties in a potential governing arrangement.
Another theoretical possibility is a broad unity government bringing together Likud, Eisenkot’s Yashar, Naftali Bennett’s Together movement and Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu. Such an arrangement could command 66 seats in the Knesset.
However, the prospect remains remote. Opposition parties had campaigned on removing Netanyahu from power, while the prime minister continues to depend on far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies to sustain his political support.
Election Results Amid Fraud Allegations
The final vote count has also unfolded against the backdrop of allegations of possible foreign interference and voter fraud.
Central Elections Committee Chairman Noam Sohlberg formally approached Shin Bet chief David Zini, requesting an investigation into suspicions that foreign entities may have attempted to influence voting patterns in the Arab sector.
However, the committee maintained that there was no empirical evidence to substantiate claims of systematic interference or widespread compromise of the electoral process.
Milei Congratulates Netanyahu
Amid the political uncertainty, Argentine President Javier Milei congratulated Netanyahu on what he described as the Likud party’s “great victory” in the election.
In a post on X, Milei said Likud had once again established itself as Israel’s leading political force.
“Once more, you have demonstrated the strength of your leadership, even in the face of polls and predictions against you. Argentina and Israel will continue to be strategic allies against those who challenge our Western values,” he said.
While Likud’s position as the largest party gives Netanyahu a significant political advantage, the failure of his bloc to cross the majority mark leaves the country’s next government far from settled.
