Israel election result shows no overall majority as vote count complete

What the report says

Israel’s election count has finished with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition securing a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, according to Israeli media cited by Al Jazeera. With more than 99% of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s side was reported to have 53 seats, the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot 48, and Arab list parties 19. The final result still needs to be certified by Wednesday, so the figures remain provisional.

The vote came after a campaign widely viewed as a test of Netanyahu’s leadership, months after the October 7, 2023 attacks and the war in Gaza. Because no bloc reached the 61 seats needed to govern alone, opposition figures have begun meeting to explore coalition options. Al Jazeera reported that Eisenkot met former prime minister Naftali Bennett and later Democrats party leader Yair Golan, while Golan also met Mansour Abbas of the United Arab list, or Ra’am.

The report said coalition math remains difficult because most opposition parties have ruled out partnering with Arab-led factions, even though their support may be necessary. Al Jazeera also noted that Netanyahu’s Likud has repeated allegations that Arab parties “stole” the election, claims that have been rejected. The Central Elections Committee head said he had received a letter about possible foreign interference and asked the Shin Bet security service to look into it, though he could not verify the claims himself.