not everywhere· Politics· Updated 07:02

Israel Election Results: Netanyahu Bloc Holds Steady as Votes Counted

Israel's general election has resulted in a political stalemate, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-religious bloc nor the opposition securing the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. With over 91% of the votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats, a significant decline from the 64 seats it held in the outgoing Knesset. The opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to win 48 seats, while Arab parties achieved a historic high, securing 19 seats.

15 newsrooms · 6 languages · since 28 Oct, 06:56

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Israel Election Results: Netanyahu Bloc Holds Steady as Votes Counted — Illustration by baba

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What happened

01Israel's general election has resulted in a political stalemate, with neither major bloc securing the 61 seats needed to form a government.
02With over 91% of the votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 53 seats, down from its previous 64.
03The opposition bloc, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to win 48 seats, with his Yashar party securing 21.
04Arab parties achieved a historic record in the Knesset, collectively projected to win 19 seats.
05Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud remains the largest single party in the Knesset, projected to win 26 seats.
06Approximately 650,000 "double envelope" ballots, including those of soldiers, remain to be counted and could alter the final seat distribution.
07Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has ruled out serving in a government under Benjamin Netanyahu, even in a rotation agreement.
08The final official election results are scheduled to be published no later than November 4, 2026.

Netanyahu's Likud party remains the largest single faction with 26 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar party with 21. Within the Netanyahu-led bloc, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Otzma Yehudit are projected to win seven seats each, and Religious Zionism is set to win six. In the opposition, B'Yachad is projected to secure 12 seats, the Democrats eight, and Yisrael Beiteinu seven. Among the Arab parties, the Joint List is projected to win 11 seats and Ra'am eight, while two smaller parties led by Yoaz Hendel and Ofer Vinter failed to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold.

The final outcome remains uncertain as election workers continue to count approximately 650,000 "double envelope" ballots, which include votes from soldiers and diplomats. These special ballots could alter the final seat distribution before the official results are published by November 4, 2026. Meanwhile, political maneuvering has begun, with Eisenkot, Yair Lapid, and Yair Golan of the opposition change bloc scheduling meetings to coordinate their strategy, while Netanyahu has held discussions with Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated 08:51