not everywhere· Politics· Updated 11:00

Knesset Vote Count Shows Netanyahu Bloc Leading, But Results Still Shifting

Preliminary results from Israel's 26th Knesset elections show the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, in the lead as vote counting progresses. With over 66% of the ballots counted on Wednesday, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc is projected to win 54 seats, down from earlier projections of 57 seats. The "change bloc" opposing him holds 48 seats, while Arab parties have made significant gains, collectively projected to win up to 16 to 18 seats following a record voter turnout of 77.7%.

9 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 06:07

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Knesset Vote Count Shows Netanyahu Bloc Leading, But Results Still Shifting — Illustration by baba

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What happened

01With 66.3% of the votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc is projected to win 54 seats, while the opposing change bloc holds 48 seats.
02The Likud party leads the election with 27 seats, followed by Gadi Eisenkot's National Unity party with 21 seats.
03Arab parties have secured a historic showing, with the Joint List projected at 12 seats and Ra'am rising to 6 seats.
04Voter turnout in the election reached a 20-year high of 77.7%, representing over 3.4 million votes counted so far.
05Several parties, including the Reservists and the Economic party, are currently failing to pass the electoral threshold with 2.66% of the vote.
06Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot declared the results a vote of no confidence in Netanyahu and urged him to retire.
07Benjamin Netanyahu asserted his bloc has a decisive majority and highlighted a historical opportunity to confront Iran alongside U.S. President Donald Trump.
08Final election results are expected on Thursday night, followed by coalition recommendations to President Isaac Herzog.

Behind Likud, which is projected to win 27 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's National Unity party, also referred to as Yesh Atid or Yashar in some reports, is in second place with 21 seats. The Joint List holds 12 seats, and Benny Gantz's National Unity party, referred to as Together or Yachad, has 11 seats. Other parties include Yisrael Beiteinu and the Democrats with 8 seats each, while Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Otzma Yehudit hold 7 seats each. Religious Zionism and Zehut are projected to win 6 seats each, and Ra'am has risen to 6 seats. Several parties, including the Reservists, the Economic party, and Am Israel, are currently below the electoral threshold.

Despite the complex coalition landscape, both sides have claimed victory. Netanyahu asserted that his right-wing bloc secured a decisive majority among the Zionist public and spoke of a historical opportunity to eliminate the Iranian existential threat in cooperation with U.S. President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot claimed the public voted for change and delivered a vote of no confidence in Netanyahu, urging him to retire. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also declared that Netanyahu had lost and that the current government should go. Final results are expected on Thursday night, after which party leaders will meet with President Isaac Herzog.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated 10:41