Politics1 min read

Israel polls: Neither Netanyahu nor oppn wins majority; what happens next?

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The right-wing bloc secured 53 seats while the opposition finished with 48, leaving 19 seats held by Arab-led parties as a potential balance of power. Even though an alliance with Arab factions offers a mathematical path to 61 seats, right-wing opposition figures firmly reject such an arrangement. Meanwhile, all four primary opposition leaders maintain their refusal to serve under the current prime minister. A designated candidate will have 28 days to forge an administration, with the option for a 14-day extension.

Key points

  • Severe ideological splits prevent opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman…: Severe ideological splits prevent opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman from joining Arab-led parties.
  • Every major opposition leader has officially ruled out participating in a coalition servi…: Every major opposition leader has officially ruled out participating in a coalition serving under Netanyahu.
  • The candidate chosen by President Isaac Herzog receives 28 days to build a functional gov…: The candidate chosen by President Isaac Herzog receives 28 days to build a functional government.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Israel is facing weeks, and possibly months, of political uncertainty after the final election results showed that neither Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition secured the 61 seats needed to form a government.

The results have left the country with a hung parliament, with Arab-led parties potentially holding the key to the next government.

According to CNN, the results released by election officials early Friday showed Netanyahu's right-wing bloc winning 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition, led by centrist Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, secured 48 seats. Arab-led parties won the remaining 19 seats.

What's next for Israel?

The opposition has accused the longest-serving PM Netanyahu of targeting the Arab population and attempting to undermine the election's credibility after the historic performance by Arab-led parties.

If the opposition joins hands with the Arab parties, it could potentially secure a parliamentary majority. However, such an arrangement would be politically challenging, given the differences within the opposition bloc over working with Arab parties.

CNN outlined four possible scenarios that could shape Israel's political future.

1. Opposition govt…

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