developing· Politics· Updated 20:59

Election Results Finalized Amidst Bribery and Foreign Funding Probe

The final results of the 26th Knesset elections were announced on Thursday, showing the Likud party as the largest faction with 27 seats. The results present a complex political landscape with no clear majority for any bloc, leaving the formation of a government uncertain. The bloc supporting Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold 53 seats, while the opposition bloc is projected to hold 67 seats, according to Kan News.

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Election Results Finalized Amidst Bribery and Foreign Funding Probe — Illustration by baba

What happened

01The Likud party emerged as the largest faction in the 26th Knesset elections, securing 27 mandates.
02The bloc supporting Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold 53 seats, while the opposition bloc is projected to hold 67 seats.
03The new "Yishr!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, secured 21 mandates to become a major centrist force.
04The "Together" list, led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, received 12 mandates in the final count.
05Judge Noam Sohlberg ordered the Shin Bet to investigate claims of foreign election funding from enemy states.
06The Shin Bet reportedly held intelligence on the alleged foreign funding for weeks before the probe was ordered.
07President Isaac Herzog called for a thorough investigation into the bribery claims while warning against tarnishing entire communities.

Behind Likud, the "Yishr!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, secured 21 mandates, which Kan News referred to as the "With Gadi Eisenkot" list. The "Together" list, led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, received 12 mandates, while the Joint List secured 11. Other parties passing the threshold include the Democrats and Ra'am with 8 seats each, Yisrael Beiteinu and Otzma Yehudit with 7 seats each, United Torah Judaism with 7 seats, and Shas with 6 seats, according to Kan News. Globes and Kikar HaShabbat reported slightly different names and seat counts for some of the smaller factions.

The finalization of the results, which included the counting of approximately 392,234 double envelopes, has been overshadowed by an ongoing investigation into alleged election bribery and foreign funding. The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, ordered the head of the Shin Bet, David Zini, to investigate suspicions that millions of shekels from enemy states were transferred to Israel to buy votes and influence the election. The Shin Bet reportedly held intelligence on the matter for weeks before acting. President Isaac Herzog urged a thorough investigation but cautioned against broad accusations.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 21:43

Latest report: Kikar HaShabbat. Read Kikar HaShabbat’s original