Benjamin Netanyahu’s hopes of securing another term as Israeli prime minister have been thrown into uncertainty after near-final election results left his political bloc short of a parliamentary majority, while Arab parties emerged with a powerful 19-seat presence that could prove decisive in determining who forms the next government.
With ordinary ballots counted, Netanyahu’s coalition secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, ahead of the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, which won 48. The two Arab electoral lists collectively secured 19 seats, placing them in a potentially influential position as Israel awaits the counting of its remaining votes.
Neither of the two main political blocs has reached the 61 seats required to form a government, leaving the country’s political future dependent on the final ballots and the parliamentary negotiations that could follow.
Netanyahu Leads, but the Numbers Are Not Enough
According to Israel’s Channel 12, the preliminary results were announced on Wednesday after election officials completed counting all ordinary ballot envelopes, representing approximately 86 per cent of the total vote.
The remaining ballots, known as “double envelopes”, include votes cast by soldiers and other eligible voters under special voting arrangements.
Their counting could alter the distribution of parliamentary seats, particularly in a tightly contested election where neither political camp has secured a governing majority.
Netanyahu’s Likud party emerged as the largest individual party, winning 26 seats. However, the combined strength of his political allies leaves his bloc eight seats short of the parliamentary majority needed to establish a government.
The opposition, led by former Israeli military chief Gadi Eisenkot, faces an even larger numerical challenge, with its parties collectively holding 48 seats.
The outcome has left both camps confronting a political reality in which winning the largest share of seats does not automatically translate into the ability to govern.
Arab Parties Secure 19 Seats, Emerging as a Potential Deciding Force
One of the election’s most consequential developments is the combined performance of the two Arab electoral lists, which secured 19 seats between them.
The Joint List won 12 seats, while the United Arab List obtained seven, giving Arab political representation a potentially decisive role in the next Knesset.
Their combined parliamentary strength places them in a position to influence the balance between Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition, particularly if the remaining ballots do not produce a clear majority for either side.
For Netanyahu, the challenge extends beyond his own party’s electoral performance. Even with the support of his established political allies, his bloc remains unable to independently command the 61-seat majority.
The opposition faces a similar predicament, raising the prospect that the Arab parties’ parliamentary position could become central to determining whether an alternative governing arrangement is possible.
However, the final distribution of seats remains subject to the counting of outstanding ballots.
How Israel’s 120 Parliamentary Seats Are Divided
The preliminary results reveal a fragmented political landscape, with 11 parties securing representation in the Knesset.
The current seat distribution is as follows:
| Political Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Likud | 26 |
| Yashar | 21 |
| Beyachad | 12 |
| Joint List | 12 |
| The Democrats | 8 |
| Yisrael Beiteinu | 7 |
| United Torah Judaism | 7 |
| Shas | 7 |
| Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) | 7 |
| United Arab List | 7 |
| Religious Zionism | 6 |
| Total | 120 |
Two other parties, Amcha Israel and Reservists and Economy, failed to cross the electoral threshold required to enter parliament.
The results show how closely the parliamentary balance is divided between the competing political blocs, with no clear majority emerging from the initial count.
Highest Voter Turnout Since 1999
Beyond the parliamentary deadlock, the election witnessed an unusually high level of voter participation.
Israel’s election committee announced that turnout reached 77.7 per cent, an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared with the 2022 election.
The figure represents the highest electoral participation recorded since 1999.
The strong turnout accompanied a closely contested election in which the preliminary results and earlier exit polls produced differing indications about the balance of political power.
Despite the high participation rate, the vote has yet to deliver a clear governing majority.
Final Ballots Could Determine the Next Government
Attention has now shifted to the outstanding double-envelope ballots, including those submitted by Israeli soldiers.
Although Netanyahu’s bloc currently holds a five-seat advantage over Eisenkot’s opposition, neither side possesses enough seats to form a government independently.
The remaining count could change the parliamentary balance, making the final distribution of seats crucial to the negotiations that follow.
For the Arab parties, their combined 19 seats represent a significant parliamentary presence at a moment when both major Israeli political camps are struggling to secure a majority.
The final results will determine whether either bloc can improve its position sufficiently to form a government or whether the political deadlock will continue into the next stage of coalition negotiations.
