Israel election results: Netanyahu falls short of majority, deadlock raises fresh poll fears

Israel faces difficult negotiations to form a new government after the final vote count left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alliance eight seats short of a parliamentary majority. His Likud party finished first, but opposition groups also lack the numbers to govern alone, placing Arab parties in a potentially decisive position and raising the possibility of another election.

Israel election results 2026: Likud wins 27 seats, Netanyahu's bloc gets 53

Israel's Central Elections Committee published the seat allocation for the 26th Knesset on Friday, following Tuesday's national election. Netanyahu's right-wing and religious allies won 53 of the 120 seats, while the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot secured 48. Arab-led parties took the other 19. A majority requires 61 seats.

Likud emerged as the largest party with 27 seats, ahead of Eisenkot's Yashar with 21. Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad won 12 seats and the Joint List 11. The Democrats and Ra'am each secured eight seats. Yisrael Beytenu, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit received seven seats apiece, while Shas and Religious Zionism won six each.

Turnout reached 77.9 per cent, with 5,716,665 ballots cast, according to the committee. The Reservists, People of Israel and Charedi Public parties failed to clear the 3.25 per cent vote threshold required to enter parliament.

Arab parties emerge as kingmakers but opposition faces hurdles

The combined strength of the Joint List and Ra'am could give the opposition a route to power. In numerical terms, Eisenkot's bloc and the two Arab-led parties would hold 67 seats if they agreed to cooperate. But that arithmetic does not amount to a coalition deal.

Several parties opposed to Netanyahu have reservations about relying on Arab-led groups. Eisenkot has not secured their backing, while Mansour Abbas, who leads Ra'am, reportedly expressed doubts about a minority government headed by Eisenkot and supported from outside by Arab lawmakers. Netanyahu has rejected the idea of depending on those parties to govern.

Another possibility is an agreement between parties currently on opposite sides of the political divide. Such a coalition would require leaders who campaigned against each other to settle differences over leadership and policy. 

President Herzog to begin coalition consultations after November 4

Israel's Central Elections Committee said the completed tally is still subject to routine checks and minor corrections. It is due to be formally submitted to President Isaac Herzog on November 4. Herzog will then consult the elected parties before selecting a lawmaker to attempt to form a government. The new Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10.

Under Israeli law, the first candidate receives 28 days to assemble a government and may be granted up to 14 additional days. If the attempt fails, another candidate can be given a chance. Further parliamentary procedures apply before a fresh election can be called. Netanyahu's outgoing government will continue in office until a successor takes over.

Israel election interference allegations under investigation

Separately, Israel's Shin Bet security service is examining allegations of possible interference in the election. The Central Elections Committee said the investigation would not affect the announced seat allocation and cautioned against claims targeting any particular community. No finding of systematic manipulation has been established.

The election, Israel's first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, was fought amid sharp disagreements over security, Netanyahu's leadership and military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.