Netanyahu Bloc Falls Short of Majority in Israeli Elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc lost its parliamentary majority in Tuesday’s elections, according to final results released on Friday. The tally confirmed that weeks of complex negotiations lie ahead among ideologically distinct groups to form a stable government.

Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The main opposition bloc won 48 seats. Arab-led parties captured 19 seats, marking their strongest showing to date. To form a government, parties must assemble a coalition of at least 61 seats.

President Isaac Herzog will receive certified results next Wednesday. He will then task an individual with forming a new cabinet. That person could be Netanyahu, the leader of the largest party, or another figure chosen by party leaders. If attempts to build a coalition fail, Israel faces another election in early 2027. Herzog stated he will work to prevent a repeat vote.

Tensions rose before the final count as Netanyahu and his Likud party raised unsubstantiated claims that Arab-led parties stole the election with foreign aid. The opposition criticized these moves as an effort to demonize the 20% of the population that are Arab. Netanyahu posted on social media that forming a coalition with Arab parties is forbidden.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of the election committee, said he had serious suspicions of foreign interference. He asked the Shin Bet security agency to investigate. The election committee said the probe is based on classified intelligence but emphasized it does not affect the final results. Acting director general Dean Livne called reports of the investigation entirely unfounded.

The new Knesset is expected to be sworn in on November 10. If Eisenkot’s bloc partners with Arab parties, they could elect a new speaker and control the parliamentary agenda. This would allow them to advance legislation before a new government is formed. Critics noted that losing office would expose Netanyahu to corruption trials and a review of security failures prior to the October 7, 2023, attack.