Israel Election Results: Double Envelope Ballots Counted as Blocs Form
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Israel's Central Elections Committee has started counting double envelope ballots after preliminary results showed the Netanyahu bloc leading with 53 mandates. The "change bloc" garnered 48 mandates, and Arab parties secured 19. The Joint List announced readiness for political cooperation to unseat the current government, while party leaders like Bezalel Smotrich and Gadi Eisenkot expressed gratitude and outlined their post-election goals.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's Central Elections Committee began counting double envelope ballots after preliminary results.
- Preliminary results show the Netanyahu bloc with 53 mandates, the change bloc with 48, and Arab parties with 19.
- The Joint List is open to political cooperation to form an alternative government.
- Bezalel Smotrich vowed to continue serving the people, land, and Torah of Israel.
- Gadi Eisenkot aims to bring change and form a "Zionist conscription government."
The Israeli Central Elections Committee has begun counting the "double envelope" ballots, which are cast by voters who are unable to vote at their designated polling stations. This process commenced after all necessary data entry, scanning, and verification procedures were completed. The counting is taking place at the Knesset parking lot. Concurrently, results from regular polling stations continue to be processed, with 11,712 out of 12,018 stations having reported their tallies.
Preliminary results from approximately 90% of the votes, excluding the double envelopes, indicate a preliminary mandate distribution of 53 for the Netanyahu bloc, 48 for the "change bloc," and 19 for Arab parties. Within these preliminary results, the Likud party is projected to receive 26 mandates, Yisrael Beiteinu 21, and the Joint List 12.
The Joint List issued a statement declaring their readiness for political cooperation to oust the Netanyahu government. They emphasized their commitment to forming an alternative government that would enact significant policy changes, recognize the rights of the Arab public, and end their political exclusion. The party vowed to continue fighting for their constituents and for a future based on full equality and genuine partnership.
Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, expressed gratitude for the "immense trust and support" received, attributing the success to activists and vowing to continue serving "the people of Israel, the land of Israel, and the Torah of Israel." Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, stated his focus on bringing change to Israel and establishing a "Zionist conscription government," asserting that the election results reflect a public desire for change from the current government and a rejection of draft evasion.
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