Israel's election results spark coalition-building challenge
With no party securing a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Israeli politicians must negotiate coalitions to reach the 61-seat threshold needed to form the next government.
Israel's parliamentary election on October 27 produced a fragmented result, leaving no clear winner and prompting coalition talks. The Central Elections Committee’s initial count placed Likud as the largest single party with 27 seats, but neither the Likud bloc nor the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot reached the 61 seats required for a governing majority.
Exit polls published on election night showed the two blocs closely matched: Kan 11 and Channel 13 projected both blocs at 51 seats each; Channel 12 gave Netanyahu’s bloc 52 seats versus Eisenkot’s 49; and Channel 15 estimated 55 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc against 49 for the opposition. Parties must therefore seek additional partners to bridge the gap.
Israel’s electoral system allocates Knesset seats proportionally to parties that surpass a 3.25 percent threshold. The Arab-led parties Ra’am and the Joint List together hold between 16 and 19 seats in the polls, positioning them as potential kingmakers. However, Netanyahu has publicly dismissed a coalition with Arab parties as “shameful,” and leaders of the Jewish-led opposition have also ruled out such arrangements, limiting viable coalition options.
Netanyahu’s bloc comprises Likud, the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, and the far-right parties Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit. Eisenkot’s opposition bloc includes his Yashar party, the Together list linked to former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu, and Yair Golan’s Democrats.
After the official results are certified, the president will assign a mandate to the Knesset member most likely to assemble a majority. The designated lawmaker has 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a government. Failure to do so could lead to another lawmaker receiving a mandate or, ultimately, a new election, as occurred in previous cycles.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister for a total of 19 years across three terms, remains caretaker prime minister while negotiations proceed. He is also facing a corruption trial, which he denies. Official results are expected on November 4, and coalition talks may extend beyond the initial deadline.