Israel Election Ends Without Clear Majority As Netanyahu Coalition Loses Grip

Election Results

Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister faces the biggest test of his political career as partial election results show his right-religious coalition has lost its majority. With 85.6 per cent of ballot boxes counted by the Central Elections Committee, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leads with 53 seats while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot stands at 48 seats. Voter turnout reached 77.7 per cent, marking the highest rate in more than over two decades. Three parties remain below the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold, including Reservists at 2.7 per cent, People of Israel at 1.6 per cent, and the Charedi Public at 0.2 per cent.

Party Standings And Arab Parties

Mr. Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to win 26 seats, while its main rival Yashar, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, is expected to secure 21 seats. Far-right extremist parties in the current coalition, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism, won 13 seats between them. Meanwhile, Arab-led parties have risen to a combined 19 seats, with the Joint List projected to win 12 seats and Ra'am securing seven seats. Because neither major bloc commands the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, these Arab parties could propel the opposition to power, though they have historically remained on the margins of Israel's power politics.

Context

Coalition negotiations in Israel's parliamentary system frequently stretch for weeks when elections fail to produce an outright majority. Parties must negotiate power-sharing agreements to reach the mandatory threshold of 61 seats in the legislature to form a functioning government.