Netanyahu Bloc Leads Opposition After 100% of Regular Votes Counted
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Following the count of 100% of regular votes in Israel's 26th Knesset elections, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc has secured 53 seats, while the opposition has 48, and Arab parties hold 19. Final results are pending the count of special ballots. President Isaac Herzog called for efforts to prevent new elections due to potential difficulties in forming a government. The Joint List chairman stated his party is ready to help oust the current government, while other Arab parties are engaged in coalition talks.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu's bloc leads with 53 seats after 100% of regular votes are counted.
- The opposition bloc has 48 seats, and Arab parties hold 19 seats.
- Approximately 600,000 special ballots remain to be counted, affecting final results.
- President Herzog urged parties to prevent another election cycle.
- The Joint List offered to help form an alternative government.
- Haredi parties show a significant decline in seat count compared to the previous election.
With 100% of regular ballots counted in Israel's 26th Knesset elections, the bloc supporting Benjamin Netanyahu holds 53 seats, while the opposition bloc has 48, and Arab parties collectively hold 19. Approximately 600,000 "double envelopes" (special ballots) are still awaiting tabulation, meaning the final results are not yet determined. The Likud party currently has 26 seats, a decrease of one from a previous update, and the Yesh Atid party has 21 seats, also down by one. The Joint List and the "Bechayim" party each have 12 seats, with the Joint List gaining one seat. Other parties' seat counts include Democrats with eight, and Israel Beiteinu, Ra'am, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and Shas each with seven seats. Religious Zionist-Identity holds six seats. Ra'am gained one seat, bringing its total with the Joint List to 19. Haredi parties are showing a significant decline, with Shas and United Torah Judaism each at seven seats, totaling 14, a drop of four seats from the previous election. Meanwhile, the "Haredi Public" party received only about 10,000 votes, falling below the electoral threshold. Parties like "HaMeyuladanim" and "HaKalkalit" are at 2.63% of the vote, and "Amcha Israel" is at 1.61%, both below the threshold.
President Isaac Herzog urged all parties to prevent another election, stating, "We must do everything, certainly after yesterday, not to return to additional elections." He called for open minds from those tasked with forming a government. "We need to understand one thing, and I already said it before the elections, we need to do everything, certainly after yesterday, not to return to additional elections," Herzog said. "So I expect everyone who comes here, to come here with an open mind."
Chairman of the Joint List, Yousef Jabareen, declared his party's readiness to help replace the Netanyahu government, offering an alternative to what he described as a "government of blood" based on "supremacy, racism, and exclusion." He emphasized that change requires a "true and equal Jewish-Arab partnership." This aligns with statements from Member of Knesset Ahmed Tibi, who indicated the Joint List is already in talks with "change bloc" parties and is willing to support a বিকল্প government even without being part of it. However, Chairman of Balad, Sami Abu Shehadeh, set conditions for cooperation with Gadi Eisenkot, including an end to what he termed incitement against Arab parties.
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