Knesset Vote Count Shows Netanyahu Bloc Leading, But Results Still Shifting

As vote counting continued Wednesday morning, October 28, for the 26th Knesset elections, preliminary results indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 54 mandates. The opposition bloc, comprising four parties led by Gadi Eisenkot, was projected to secure 48 mandates, while Arab parties were expected to gain 18. These figures represent an interim count and are subject to significant change as more ballots are processed.

Updated data, with over 72% of polling stations counted, showed the Likud party, led by Netanyahu, with 27 mandates. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party was projected to receive 21 mandates. The Joint List, including Yusuf Jabarin, Ahmad Tibi, and Sami Abu Shehadeh, was expected to get 12 mandates. Other projected results included Naftali Bennett's Bayahad with 11, Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu and Yair Golan's Democratic party each with 8, Shas led by Aryeh Deri and United Torah Judaism led by Yaakov Asher each with 7, Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit with 7, and Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin's Religious Zionism and Zehut party with 6. Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party was projected to win 6 mandates.

Two parties, Miluimnikim ve-Kalkalit (Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelicha) and Amcha Israel (Ofer Winter), were polling at 2.7% and approximately 1.7% respectively, falling short of the 3.25% electoral threshold.

The bloc of parties aligned with Netanyahu, including Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and Religious Zionism and Zehut, collectively held 54 projected mandates. The opposition bloc of Yashar, Bayahad, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Democratic parties held 48 mandates. The Arab parties, the Joint List and Ra'am, together held 18 mandates. A majority in the Knesset requires 61 mandates to form a government.

Results have fluctuated during the counting process. Initially, with approximately 28% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc had 59 mandates, the opposition 46, and Arab parties 15. These numbers shifted to 57, 47, and 16 after 37.4% were counted. At 48.43% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc was at 55 mandates. After 60% of votes were processed, the distribution was 56 for Netanyahu's bloc, 48 for the opposition, and 16 for Arab parties. The latest figures show 54, 48, and 18. Key changes include a decrease in the Likud's projected mandates from 28 to 27, United Torah Judaism from 8 to 7, and an increase for Ra'am from 4 to 6.

Turnout for the October 27 elections was 77.7%, with 5,695,682 voters participating, marking the highest turnout since 1999. The counting continues, with ballots from double envelopes, including those from soldiers, diplomats, prisoners, and hospital patients, yet to be fully tallied. These votes could be particularly significant for parties close to the electoral threshold and may alter the mandate distribution among parties that have already crossed the barrier. Official final results are expected no later than November 4, 2026.