Israeli Election Results: Netanyahu Bloc Leads Opposition by 5 Seats, Neither Reaching Majority

The final tally of Israel's legislative elections, including double-envelope ballots, concluded on Thursday, with the Central Elections Committee reporting Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc securing 53 seats and the opposition bloc obtaining 48. Neither side reached the 61 seats required for a majority in the Knesset. The Likud party emerged as the largest single party with 27 seats, followed by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! party with 21 seats. Arab parties collectively won 19 seats, with the Common List taking 11 and Ra'am securing 8. These figures are preliminary and await official verification before their publication next Wednesday.

Within Netanyahu's bloc, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit each garnered seven seats. Shas and the Religious Zionism-Zehut list each received six seats. On the opposition side, Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad party secured twelve seats, Yair Golan's The Democrats won eight, and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinou took seven. The Reservists and Economy party, led by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, along with Ofer Winter's formation, failed to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold.

While the opposition and Arab parties together hold 67 seats, forming a numerical majority, a political agreement remains elusive. Several opposition leaders have ruled out governing with Arab parties or relying on their support. Yair Golan advocates for a partnership to replace Netanyahu, while Avigdor Lieberman reiterated his refusal to sit with Arab parties or the outgoing Prime Minister, proposing a coalition "exclusively composed of Zionist parties, including the Likud without Bibi." A unity government is another possibility, but Gadi Eisenkot previously ruled out serving under Netanyahu, even in a rotation. The absence of a coalition agreement raises the prospect of new elections, prompting President Isaac Herzog to urge political leaders to approach consultations with an "open mind" to prevent a repeat vote.

The conclusion of the vote count coincides with an ongoing Shin Bet investigation into suspected foreign influence through funding. The Elections Committee stated that the integrity of the voting process at polling stations was maintained. The Shin Bet emphasized that its investigation is ongoing and not aimed at implicating an entire community. Mansour Abbas, chairman of Ra'am, denied any connection to the matter and pledged full cooperation with investigators. Gadi Eisenkot also called for a thorough investigation, accusing Netanyahu and the Likud of using the suspicions to delegitimize the results, while opposing any delay in the new Knesset's formation.