Netanyahu Bloc Loses Seats Despite Vote Increase as Arab Sector Sees High Turnout

By Вести-Ynet

Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba

CommunityNeutral tone

Russian · 7 newsrooms covering

The Netanyahu bloc lost 11 Knesset seats despite gaining 83,000 votes, as high turnout in the Arab sector boosted Arab parties to 19 mandates, up from 10. The "change bloc" increased its representation to 48 seats. Shas saw a significant drop in support, losing 95,000 votes. The election results highlight ongoing societal polarization in Israel.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

Netanyahu bloc lost 11 Knesset seats despite gaining 83,000 votes due to increased overall turnout.
Arab parties significantly increased their representation, gaining 9 mandates to reach a total of 19.
The "change bloc" saw its representation rise to 48 seats, an increase of two mandates.
Shas party lost 95,000 votes and fell from 11 to 6 Knesset mandates.
High voter turnout in the Arab sector, reaching 86.4% in Sahnin, was a key factor.
The election results indicate continued polarization within Israeli society.

Netanyahu Bloc Loses Seats Despite Vote Increase as Arab Sector Sees High Turnout — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

A significant increase in voter turnout, particularly in the Arab sector, has reshaped the expected distribution of Knesset seats, leading to a loss of 11 mandates for the Netanyahu bloc despite a gain of 83,000 votes compared to the previous election. The bloc, which previously held 64 seats, now has 53, even before accounting for Gideon Saar's faction which joined Likud. In contrast, the "change bloc" and Arab parties saw their representation increase significantly, with no associated lists falling below the electoral threshold this time.

The Likud party itself received 1,163,400 votes, a modest increase from the previous election. However, its share of the overall vote dropped from 23.41% to 20.51% as the total number of voters surged by nearly 20%. The broader Netanyahu bloc, including Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Yahadut HaTorah, and Shas, saw its overall vote share decrease from 48.38% to 42.1%. Shas experienced a notable decline, losing 95,000 votes and falling from 11 to 6 mandates, possibly due to its uncompromising stance on the conscription of Haredim into the IDF. Yahadut HaTorah gained votes, as did Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism, which may have absorbed some of Shas's traditional voters.

Conversely, the "change bloc" parties, which previously lost votes with Meretz and Balad falling below the threshold, saw a combined increase of approximately 17%. They secured 2,141,700 votes this election, up from 1,820,000 in 2022, resulting in 48 seats compared to 46.

The most dramatic shift occurred within the Arab parties, which increased their representation from 10 to 19 mandates. Sahnin recorded the highest turnout in Israel at 86.4%. Arab lists collectively received 835,000 votes, a 63% increase from the 511,000 votes in the previous election, with the Joint List and Ra'am being the primary beneficiaries. This surge is attributed to a dramatic rise in electoral activity in the Arab sector.

Overall, the election results indicate a continued polarization of Israeli society, with the distribution of power between political camps remaining largely unchanged despite significant events. The coming period will reveal whether politicians can reach agreements or if the country will face another election soon.