The parliamentary stalemate persists because neither Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the Zionist opposition secured a governing majority, even with over 90 percent of ballots tallied. Palestinian-led parties secured a projected record 19 seats and offered to back a minority government, but Lieberman and other opposition leaders firmly refused to govern alongside them. Consequently, Lieberman has ceased taking calls from Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett while holding out for a unity government that excludes Netanyahu.
Key points
Neither the ruling bloc nor the Zionist opposition holds the 61 seats required to form a…: Neither the ruling bloc nor the Zionist opposition holds the 61 seats required to form a majority government.
Lieberman insists he will only support a unity administration with the Likud party if Ben…: Lieberman insists he will only support a unity administration with the Likud party if Benjamin Netanyahu is excluded from it.
Opposition figures continue to dismiss offers from Palestinian-led parties to support a m…: Opposition figures continue to dismiss offers from Palestinian-led parties to support a minority government to unseat Netanyahu.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
A former ally turned opponent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stopped taking calls from opposition leaders amid efforts to form a “national unity” government and avoid relying on Palestinian-led parties, according to Channel 12
The broadcaster reported on Wednesday that Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beitenu party, had largely cut off contact with his opposition counterparts.
He has reportedly ignored calls from Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, and former prime minister Naftali Bennett, leader of B’Yachad (Together).
Lieberman’s party is projected to win seven seats. He has previously ruled out joining a government led by Netanyahu or one that includes Palestinian-led parties.
With more than 90 percent of votes counted, preliminary results point to a deadlock between Netanyahu’s outgoing bloc and the Zionist opposition.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Neither side has secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, partly due to Palestinian-led parties winning a projected record 19 seats.
Continued Israeli attacks across the enclave have inflicted dozens of fresh casualties over a single day. These latest losses further compound the severe physical toll on the population since a truce collapsed the previous autumn. Local authorities report that thousands have sustained severe injuries during this extended period of renewed conflict.
Tensions erupted on the legislative floor after Civil Contract party member Taron Chakhoyan brought up a controversial campaign comment tied to a rival politician's family member. The verbal confrontation quickly deteriorated into a violent, televised clash between ruling and opposition politicians that spilled outside the main chamber. Parliament leadership deliberately allowed cameras to keep broadcasting the entire physical altercation to ensure full public transparency.
Disclosed to lawmakers just ahead of the November midterm elections, the estimate surpasses earlier projections from the Congressional Budget Office. Mounting financial expenditures arrive as voters grapple with soaring domestic diesel prices spurred by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Lawmakers are intensifying their scrutiny of wartime operations while the full scope of regional military maintenance costs remains uncalculated.