Israel's final count for the 26th Knesset has drawn a line under the ballot while leaving the question of who will govern wide open. Netanyahu's camp, though it has the largest party in Likud, falls short of the 61 seats that make a majority, and so the country now waits on a presidential process and on the uncertain arithmetic of alliances. Behind the tallies lies a familiar democratic moment: a nation having spoken clearly enough to count, yet not clearly enough to decide who holds the pen.
Netanyahu's Bloc Falls Short of Knesset Majority as Israel's Final Election Results Are Published
Likud is the largest party, but its bloc stopped at 53 seats
Israel's final count for the 26th Knesset has drawn a line under the ballot while leaving the question of who will govern wide open. Netanyahu's camp, though it has the largest party in Likud, falls short of the 61 seats that make a majority, and so the country now waits on a presidential process and on the uncertain arithmetic of alliances. Behind the tallies lies a familiar democratic moment: a nation having spoken clearly enough to count, yet not clearly enough to decide who holds the pen.
On Friday, Israel's Central Elections Committee published the final seat distribution for the 26th Knesset, and the result is a country with a clear verdict on its parties but no clear answer on its government. Likud emerged as the largest single party with 27 seats, and Yashar followed with 21. Yet what determines power is the bloc arithmetic, and here Benjamin Netanyahu's camp reached only 53 seats, well short of the 61 needed for a majority.
Turnout reached 77.9 per cent, with more than five and a half million votes cast. Three parties, the Reservists, People of Israel and Charedi Public, failed to clear the electoral threshold and will not sit in the new parliament. The Knesset is scheduled to convene on November 10.
The next move belongs to President Isaac Herzog, who will consult party representatives before nominating someone to attempt to form a government. The options are narrow. A minority government under Gadi Eisenkot could rely on outside support from Arab parties, though Ra'am's Mansour Abbas has been sceptical. A broad unity arrangement linking Likud with opposition parties could reach 66 seats on paper, but deep political divisions make it unlikely.
The result also carries an unresolved dispute over alleged foreign interference in Arab-sector voting. The elections committee has said it saw no empirical evidence of systematic compromise. For now, attention turns to Herzog's consultations and to whether any candidate can gather 61 seats before the new Knesset takes its place.
On Friday, Israel's Central Elections Committee published the final distribution of seats in the 26th Knesset, and the numbers settled one question while opening another. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc did not reach a parliamentary majority, which leaves the shape of the next government unresolved.
Likud finished as the largest single party with 27 seats. Yashar came second with 21. But the count that matters for governing is the bloc count: the pro-Netanyahu camp won 53 seats, the anti-Netanyahu camp won 48, and Arab factions took 19. A majority in the Knesset requires 61, so Netanyahu is short and depends on coalition arrangements that have not yet been made.
Turnout was 77.9 per cent, with 5,716,665 votes cast. Three parties failed to clear the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold and will not sit in the new parliament: the Reservists, People of Israel and Charedi Public. The new Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10.
The next step belongs to President Isaac Herzog, who is expected to consult party representatives before nominating a candidate to try to form a government. Several routes have been discussed, and none is simple. One is a minority government led by Gadi Eisenkot, who heads Yashar, with outside support from Arab parties. Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas has viewed that prospect sceptically.
Another is a broad unity government joining Likud with opposition parties. On paper such a combination could command 66 seats, but the political differences between the sides make it an unlikely outcome.
In the meantime, Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reportedly held discussions after the election. Argentine President Javier Milei publicly congratulated Netanyahu on Likud's showing.
The results also arrive with a dispute attached. There have been allegations of possible foreign interference in voting patterns in the Arab sector. The elections committee responded that it had seen no empirical evidence of any systematic compromise of the integrity of the ballot.
What to watch now is Herzog's round of consultations and whether any candidate can assemble 61 seats, in particular whether Arab parties would back an Eisenkot-led minority government, with the swearing-in on November 10 approaching.
Citações Notáveis
The elections committee said there was no empirical evidence of systematic compromise to the integrity of the ballot.— Central Elections Committee
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