Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading in the parliamentary election tally from October 27, yet his coalition fails to secure the 61 seats necessary for an outright majority, according to the vote count monitoring by El Confidencial.
With 85.6% of the votes counted, Netanyahu's coalition stands at 53 seats, while the opposition bloc, headed by former general Gadi Eisenkot, has 48 seats, and Arab parties have achieved a historic 19 seats.
The election, the first since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, saw a final turnout of about 77.7%, the highest since 2001, with over 4.8 million Israelis voting from a pool of approximately 7.33 million.
Likud, Netanyahu's party, emerged as the largest individual force with 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar! with 21 seats. The conservative bloc is completed by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Shas—each with seven seats—and the far-right Otzma Yehudit of Itamar Ben Gvir and Religious Zionism of Bezalel Smotrich, with seven and six seats respectively.
On the opposition side, Beyajad—the party of former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid—contributes 11 seats, while The Democrats and Israel Beitenu each add eight seats.
The rise of the Arab factions is the most noteworthy aspect of the evening. The leftist Joint List, which includes Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, is around 13 seats, while the Islamist Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, secures between four and six seats, depending on the count phase. Both groups remain outside the two major blocs but could play a key role in any coalition negotiations.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog urged political leaders on Wednesday to approach the government formation consultations with a willingness to dialogue.
"One thing must be clear, and I said this before the elections: we must do everything possible, especially after yesterday, to avoid another electoral round. I hope everyone who comes here does so with an open mind," Herzog stated at an event at the presidential residence in Jerusalem.
Herzog will receive the official results next week from Supreme Court Judge Noam Sohlberg, head of the Central Election Commission, and will then begin consultations with all parliamentary groups.
From Washington, Donald Trump claimed credit for the shift in results. "When President Trump endorsed 'Bibi' Netanyahu, the situation completely changed," he posted on social media, quoting a text by Irving C. Schwartz, without clarifying who this person is.
The message described the scenario as "a great tie after a comeback, or even a victory" for the Likud leader, attributing the change to the American president's support, which he expressed on October 18, shortly before the elections.
Israel has held five elections between 2019 and 2022 without achieving stable coalitions, making Herzog's warning about another electoral round a genuine threat.
The historic turnout in these elections—the highest in 45 years as of 6:00 PM on voting day—underscores the stakes, yet the unclear majority leaves an open negotiation process that promises to be as complex as previous ones.
Key Aspects of Israel's Recent Elections
What is the current status of Netanyahu's coalition?
Netanyahu's coalition currently holds 53 seats, falling short of the 61 needed for a majority.
How did the Arab parties perform in the election?
Arab parties achieved a historic result, securing 19 seats in total.
What role could the Arab parties play in coalition negotiations?
The Arab parties, being outside the main blocs, could act as potential kingmakers in coalition negotiations.
What did President Isaac Herzog emphasize in his statement?
President Herzog emphasized the importance of preventing another round of elections and urged political leaders to approach consultations with an open mind.