In brief
In a vote that captured about 97 percent of ballots, Israeli opposition forces clinched 67 seats in the 120‑member Knesset, surpassing Netanyahu’s right‑wing coalition which secured 53. Arab parties won 19 seats, falling short of the 61‑seat majority threshold for any bloc without external support. The final results will be certified on November 4, setting the stage for lengthy coalition negotiations.
In Jerusalem, after a week of vote counting, Israel’s parliament has been split between the opposition forces and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing bloc. The preliminary numbers from the Central Elections Committee show the opposition holding 67 seats, while Netanyahu’s coalition has 53 seats, leaving neither side able to control the 120‑member House on their own.
The opposition’s tally includes 48 seats won by parties aligned with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and an additional 19 seats won by Arab parties. Netanyahu’s coalition, featuring Likud and its far‑right allies, leads with 53 seats but is still nine seats away from the 61 needed for a majority.
Arab parties, which represented Israel’s 21‑percent Arab minority, also secured an unprecedented 19 seats, according to the vote count released by the Central Elections Committee and reported by Xinhua. Their support could tip the balance if either bloc chooses to form a minority government with external backing.
The vote count covered roughly 97 percent of ballots, with the final certification expected on November 4, after a review of the remaining votes and any appeals. Until then, the numbers are provisional and could shift, but the current distribution indicates a clear stalemate.
Associated Press reports that the election has left the country’s political future uncertain. No party or pre‑established coalition managed to secure the 61 seats required for a majority, meaning the next steps involve negotiations, a Knesset vote, and ultimately a decision by President Isaac Herzog to task a political bloc with forming a new government.
In the wake of the inconclusive outcome, Netanyahu has stepped up attacks on Israel’s Arab parties. At a post‑election rally, he alleged, without providing evidence, that voter fraud underpinned the record gains of Arab parties. These accusations were rebuffed by Arab leaders, who denounced the claim as an attempt to delegitimize Arab participation in the government.
Ahmad Tibi, a leader of the Arab Joint List, said:
"This entire campaign is directed against Eisenkot, to prevent him, intimidate and scare him off forming a government that relies on external support from the Joint List or Ra‘m,"
He added that Netanyahu’s rhetoric was designed to “intimidate and scare” opponents, role reversed. Eytan Gilboa, a professor of politics at Reichman University, noted that Netanyahu’s goal is to "delegitimise any Arab‑Jewish cooperation" in order to make it harder for rivals like Gadi Eisenkot to form a government if they rely on Arab parties.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders are exploring coalition options. Eisenkot has ruled out including Arab parties in any government but has not ruled out a possible minority arrangement with external Arab support. Yair Golan, the chairman of the Democratic party, has met separately with leaders of the United Arab list and Ra‘m to examine how a partnership could be structured, though most other opposition groups have rejected any union with Palestinian‑Israeli parties.
With no bloc able to command a majority, the parliamentary debates are expected to focus on coalition talks, the incorporation of small splinter parties, and the role of Arab parties in any future government. The final certification on November 4 will set the stage for weeks of negotiations, as multiple routes remain open for a caretaker or full cabinet once a majority coalition can be assembled.