Israel's Election Leaves Netanyahu's Bloc Without Majority as Hard Talks Begin

Israel's final election results confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc lost its parliamentary majority, setting off weeks of difficult negotiations among varied parties. The results released Friday showed Mr. Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in Tuesday's election, while the main Opposition bloc secured 48 seats. Arab-led parties achieved a historic showing by securing the remaining 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Parties must now bargain to team up for at least 61 seats to form a government, though Mr. Netanyahu remains in charge as Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister.

Reactions And Allegations

Centrist politician Yair Lapid urged patience on X, noting that hard work happens behind the scenes. Before final results were announced, Mr. Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties had stolen the election with potential foreign assistance. The Opposition accused Mr. Netanyahu of demonising the Arab population, which makes up 20% of the population. The head of Israel's election committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, asked the Shin Bet security agency to investigate serious suspicions of foreign interference based on classified intelligence, though acting director general Dean Livne warned that reports about the investigation were entirely unfounded and would not affect the final results.

Next Steps

The election results will be certified and submitted to President Isaac Herzog next Wednesday, November 4, 2026. President Herzog will then task someone with forming a new government, which could be Mr. Netanyahu or another leader chosen by various parties. Meanwhile, the new Knesset is expected to be sworn in on November 10, and Mr. Eisenkot's bloc could potentially join forces with Arab parties to elect a new Knesset speaker and pass legislation before a government is formed. If multiple attempts to form a government fail, Israel faces a new election early next year.

Context

Israel operates under a parliamentary system with many political parties, making coalition governments necessary to reach the required majority threshold. Arab-led parties represent a significant portion of voters and hold substantial leverage when major blocs fall short of a clear majority. If Mr. Netanyahu loses office, he faces long-standing corruption allegations and an inquiry into security failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, attack.