Netanyahu bloc leads Israel election count but falls short of a majority

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc was ahead in Israel’s election count but had not secured a parliamentary majority, leaving the country facing difficult coalition negotiations. With 85% of ballots counted, Likud and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies were projected to win 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, the BBC reported. Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties were on course for 48.

The figures leave both leading camps short of the 61 seats required to form a government. Arab-led parties were projected to win 19 seats, an unusually strong result that could give them decisive influence over coalition talks. However, all but one of the Jewish parties had pledged not to cooperate with them, according to the BBC.

The outcome remained unsettled because between 430,000 and 480,000 absentee ballots had yet to be counted. Those ballots include votes from soldiers, diplomats and hospital patients, and the final result could take another day or two. The uncertainty was greater than the initial exit polls suggested.

Three Israeli broadcasters first projected that Eisenkot’s Change Bloc would win between 52 and 53 seats, compared with 50 for Netanyahu’s bloc. Later updates showed the blocs tied at 51 in two projections, while a third gave Netanyahu a three-seat advantage. As counting continued, Netanyahu’s bloc moved ahead to 53.

Both leaders claimed a mandate. Netanyahu called for a “strong right-wing national government” and said Israel should not rely on what he described as anti-Zionist Arab parties. Eisenkot said voters had spoken for change and pledged to work with his partners to create a “Zionist government”.

The election was the first since the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 and the wars that followed in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Campaign issues included responsibility for the security failures preceding the attacks, the conduct of the regional conflicts, military conscription for ultra-Orthodox men, judicial reform and Israel’s international standing. Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades, President Isaac Herzog said.

After official results are confirmed, Herzog will consult all political factions and ask the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government to do so. The process could take weeks, and another election would eventually be required if coalition efforts fail.