Israel Election Result: Netanyahu Bloc Falls Short of Majority

The Israel election result has produced a hung parliament, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc nor the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot crossing the 61-seat mark needed to govern in the 120-member Knesset. With most votes counted, Netanyahu’s camp is projected at around 53 seats against roughly 48 for Eisenkot’s bloc, leaving Israel facing weeks of coalition bargaining.

Israel Election Result: Where the Numbers Stand

Under the near-final Israel election result, counts show Netanyahu’s Likud remaining the largest single party with about 26 seats, while Eisenkot’s new party, Yashar!, is projected at about 21. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s list is expected to take around 12 seats.

The Arab parties together are projected to win around 19 seats, their strongest showing in years. On paper, the opposition and the Arab parties combined could pass 61, but almost every Jewish opposition party has ruled out relying on Arab votes to form a government, so a majority on paper does not mean a coalition in practice.

The figures are not yet certified. More than half a million double-envelope ballots, mostly cast by soldiers, diplomats and special voters, are still being counted, and election officials say it is too early to say how they will shift the final seat tally. Formal results are expected after further checks next week.

Record Turnout and What Drove It

According to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, turnout reached about 78 percent, the highest since 1988. Higher participation among Arab citizens and weaker turnout among ultra-Orthodox voters, who are locked in a dispute over military draft exemptions, cut into the right-wing bloc’s share.

The far-right parties of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, which propped up Netanyahu’s last government, are each projected to win only a handful of seats, weakening the hardline wing of his coalition.

What Netanyahu and Eisenkot Said

Eisenkot said voters had rejected another Netanyahu term and urged the prime minister to accept defeat, promising to build what he called a stable Zionist government. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, countered that Likud remains the biggest party and that the right-wing camp holds a clear majority among Jewish voters. He repeated that a government depending on Arab parties is unacceptable and framed the vote as a chance to confront the threat from Iran.

What Happens Next After the Israel Election Result

Once the count is certified, President Isaac Herzog will consult every party and then ask the leader with the best chance of forming a government to try. That leader has up to 28 days, which can be extended by 14 more. If nobody succeeds, Israel could be pushed towards yet another election.

Until a new government is sworn in, Netanyahu stays on as caretaker prime minister. A caretaker cabinet keeps its legal powers but is expected to avoid major new policy decisions, although security decisions, including any decision on war, still go through the government or the security cabinet.

How the Israel Election Result Affects the Region

This is the first vote since Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and with Iran, and it was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu himself. He faces criticism over the security failures before the October 7, 2023 attacks, is on trial in three corruption cases and is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the Gaza war.

A long stalemate means Israel’s policy on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran will be steered by a caretaker government for now. For the wider Middle East, including countries pushing for a lasting ceasefire such as Pakistan, the outcome of coalition talks will shape whether Israel’s next government takes a harder or softer line. Details on the electoral process are available from the Knesset.

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