The vote saw turnout surge to nearly 78%, marking the highest participation rate Israel has witnessed since 1999. Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats compared to 48 for the opposition led by Yashar, while Arab-led parties captured the remaining 19 seats. While Eisenkot remains open to conditional cooperation with Arab factions, Netanyahu has rejected working with them and claimed without evidence that they are stealing the election. If the chosen candidate fails to assemble a viable governing coalition, Israeli voters may head back to the polls early next year.
Key points
Arab-led parties have emerged as pivotal potential kingmakers following their capture of…: Arab-led parties have emerged as pivotal potential kingmakers following their capture of 19 parliamentary seats.
Disagreements regarding an official October 7 inquiry and ultra-Orthodox conscription exe…: Disagreements regarding an official October 7 inquiry and ultra-Orthodox conscription exemptions remain central obstacles to building a stable government.
The country faces the immediate prospect of another national election early next year if…: The country faces the immediate prospect of another national election early next year if coalition negotiations collapse.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Both possibilities have prompted bitter debate in an already deeply divided country.
What comes next:
Weeks of negotiations ahead
Final results from Israel’s Central Elections Committee showed Netanyahu’s bloc winning 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, down from the 68 seats it held at its peak in the previous parliament. The main opposition, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, secured 48 seats, while Arab-led parties won the remaining 19.
The vote count is complete, but the results must still be certified and submitted to the president by Wednesday. Although Israelis vote for parties rather than individual candidates, the election was widely viewed as a test of Netanyahu’s leadership. His Likud party received the highest number of votes but lost ground compared with the 2022 election. Turnout reached nearly 78%, the highest since 1999.
The president will soon ask a candidate to form a government. If coalition talks fail, Israel could head to another election early next year.
Netanyahu targets Arab-led parties
Arab-led parties were clear winners in Tuesday's elections, significantly increasing their total representation in the Knesset…
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