Israel's parliamentary election ended in a hung parliament on Tuesday, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition securing the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.
With more than 70 percent of votes counted by the Central Elections Committee on Wednesday morning, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc held 54 seats, falling short of a majority, according to Haaretz. An opposition bloc of Jewish parties led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot held 47 seats. Arab-led parties reached an unprecedented combined strength of 19 seats.
The result leaves Israel in political limbo. With a record turnout of 77.7 percent — the highest since 1999 — Likud remains the largest party with 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar party with 21 seats and the Joint List with 12 seats.
The election, seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's handling of the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 attacks and the war in Gaza, produced no clear winner. With just over 57 percent of votes counted at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Netanyahu was on track for 56 seats to Eisenkot's 49, with Arab parties holding the balance of power.
Netanyahu claimed victory despite lacking a majority, telling supporters at Likud headquarters in Jerusalem that the right wing had a "great majority" among Israel's "Zionist public" and urging the formation of a "strong right-wing government."
The Joint List, led by Yousef Jabareen, said it was ready to help oust Netanyahu. "Anyone seeking to offer a genuine alternative to Netanyahu's government would have to engage with the Joint List," Jabareen said on Tuesday, calling for genuine Jewish-Arab partnership as an alternative to what he described as Netanyahu's "government of bloodshed."
The opposition's own position is fractured. Democrats leader Yair Golan urged Eisenkot's bloc to partner with Arab parties, arguing they collectively hold a majority. "Netanyahu lost. I know how to count to 120. 65 is more than 55. That's how Israeli democracy works," Golan wrote on X.
Up to 650,000 double-envelope ballots from soldiers, reservists, diplomats and hospitalized voters — representing roughly 15 Knesset seats — are still to be counted. Official results are scheduled for November 4.
