Israel’s latest general election has ended without a clear winner, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot short of the parliamentary support needed to form a government on their own and setting the stage for difficult coalition negotiations.
Neither main bloc reaches governing threshold
Final figures issued by election authorities gave Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The rival camp backing Eisenkot won 48 seats. Both totals fall below the 61 seats required for a majority.
The result marks a setback for Netanyahu compared with the outgoing parliament, when his political camp at one point held 68 seats. It also leaves the country facing another potentially prolonged period of bargaining over alliances, ministerial posts and the direction of the next administration.
- Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc: 53 Knesset seats.
- Eisenkot’s opposition alliance: 48 seats.
- Majority required to establish a government: 61 seats.
- Netanyahu’s bloc previously controlled as many as 68 seats in the outgoing Knesset.
Arab parties make historic electoral gains
Parties representing Israel’s Arab minority collectively captured 19 seats, a record outcome driven by unusually high participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel in Tuesday’s ballot.
Ra’am and the Joint List were among the strongest-performing Arab-led parties. Their gains could give them substantial leverage in determining who forms the next government, even though both Netanyahu’s camp and the main opposition bloc have said they will not bring those parties into a governing coalition.
The voting outcome has renewed scrutiny of the role played by Palestinian citizens of Israel in national politics. Many were reported to have cast ballots in the hope of ending Netanyahu’s tenure and excluding far-right members of his outgoing coalition, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Calls for inclusion and disputes over interference claims
Yair Golan, who heads the smaller left-wing Democrats party, urged the creation of a government that includes Arab parties despite the wider refusal by the two leading blocs to cooperate with them.
Writing on X, Golan condemned what he said was Netanyahu’s effort to split the electorate along ethnic lines. He argued that Arab citizens should have a place in Israel’s political system rather than being shut out of it.
The campaign was also overshadowed by accusations of outside involvement. Netanyahu and figures within his coalition raised allegations of possible Qatari interference and called for Arab parties to be examined by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service.
- Qatar rejected the claims of involvement.
- Mansour Abbas, the leader of Ra’am, denied links to the alleged activity and demanded a full investigation.
- Abbas accused Netanyahu of pursuing an incitement and delegitimisation campaign against Arab citizens.
- Dean Livne, acting director-general of the Central Elections Committee, said there was no evidence of broad electoral irregularities.
Formal process now shifts to President Herzog
While ballot counting has concluded, the election outcome must still receive formal certification before it is delivered to President Isaac Herzog.
Herzog is expected to meet party leaders before giving the mandate to the politician he judges most likely to assemble a viable coalition. The decision will determine whether Netanyahu can remain in office or whether opposition parties can construct an alternative governing arrangement.
With neither of the main camps close to an outright majority and Arab parties holding a historically large parliamentary presence, Israel now enters a renewed phase of political uncertainty in which coalition talks will be decisive.
