TEL AVIV – Israel’s parliamentary elections have ended without producing a clear governing majority, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing difficulties in securing a new governing mandate. According to final results published by the Central Election Commission, Netanyahu’s bloc has secured 53 of the 120 Knesset seats, eight short of a parliamentary majority.
Meanwhile, the opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot has received 48 mandates, while Arab parties have secured a total of 19 seats in parliament. Despite the completion of the vote count, political negotiations are expected to determine who will manage to form the next government.
Lapid: "Victory is victory" - opposition asks for patience and starts negotiations
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, part of the opposition camp, reacted after the results were published.
"Netanyahu got 53 seats. A collapse. It was not a knockout victory, but a victory on points. And points matter. A victory is a victory," Lapid wrote on the social network X.
He called on opposition supporters to show patience, while negotiations to create a new parliamentary majority are expected to be crucial.
Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett held a meeting in Ra'anana, where they expressed their commitment to working together to form a new government.
Arab parties, a decisive factor in negotiations
With 19 seats, Arab parties have achieved the highest result in their parliamentary history in Israel.
If the 48 seats of Eisenkot's bloc are combined with the 19 seats of the Arab parties, a theoretical majority of 67 MPs is created. However, some opposition leaders have ruled out cooperation with the Ra'am and Joint List parties.
The leader of the Democrats, Yair Golan, held a meeting with Mansour Abbas, leaving open the discussion on the possibilities of political cooperation. On the other hand, the leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, Avigdor Liberman, declared that he will not cooperate with either Netanyahu or Arab MK Ahmad Tibi.
Netanyahu does not rule out unity government
Regardless of the outcome, Netanyahu is considering forming a national unity government with Gadi Eisenkot, according to Israeli media reports. However, Eisenkot has rejected the possibility of co-ruling under Netanyahu, including a rotating prime minister arrangement.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has confirmed to his allies Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich that the current coalition will continue to stay together.
Accusations of electoral manipulation
After the election, Likud raised allegations of irregularities and illegal influence in the electoral process, demanding an investigation into Arab parties. However, the acting head of the Central Election Commission, Dean Livne, stated that authorities had received allegations, but no evidence to support them.
Meanwhile, Israel's Shin Bet security service has launched a limited investigation into allegations of foreign interference in the election. According to Channel 12, the investigation includes Qatar and at least two other countries. Qatar has categorically denied the accusations of interference in the Israeli elections, while Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas has stated that his party has nothing to do with the matter.
The electoral commission has made it clear that the investigations will not affect the final results presented to the president.
What happens now?
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected to receive the official results on November 4. After consultations with representatives of political parties, he will mandate a member of parliament to form a new government.
The mandate holder will have 28 days to secure a parliamentary majority, with the possibility of an extension for another 14 days.
The new Israeli parliament is expected to convene on November 10.
Until the new government is formed and sworn in, Benjamin Netanyahu will continue to serve as the outgoing prime minister.
