Ra'am Surges in Vote Count, Coalition Bloc Weakens

As vote counting continues for the 26th Knesset elections, Ra'am has seen a significant surge, gaining two mandates to reach six, according to an update released Wednesday morning. This shift has weakened the current coalition, which has dropped to 54 mandates, while the left-wing bloc remains at 48. The Likud party has lost one mandate, now holding 27 seats and remaining the largest party, while United Torah Judaism also lost a mandate. The Joint List maintained its strength with 12 mandates. The combined strength of Arab parties, including Ra'am and the Joint List, now stands at 18 mandates based on partial results, a figure that could hold considerable political significance for future government formation talks. Neither the coalition nor the opposition bloc has yet reached the 61-mandate threshold required for a majority in the Knesset. Vote counting is ongoing, with over a third of ballots yet to be tallied, and the final results may still change significantly, especially after the counting of double envelopes. Two parties, the Reservists and Economists Party and Ofer Winter's Am Israel Party, are currently below the 3.25% electoral threshold.