Netanyahu’s Bloc Falls Short as Israel Rejects a Hardline Majority
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Israel’s October 27 election produced a fractured parliament, denying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc the governing majority it sought and leaving open the prospect of prolonged bargaining, a caretaker government, and stronger leverage for Arab parties.
Israel’s parliamentary election on October 27 produced a deeply fragmented Knesset, with no bloc able to govern on its own. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious coalition won 53 seats, eight fewer than the 61 needed for a majority, underscoring the limits of its mandate. Likud, the largest party in the bloc, took 26 seats, down from the 32 it held four years ago. The coalition’s far-right partners, Otzma Yehudit led by Ithamar Ben-Gvir (7 seats) and Religious Zionism headed by Bezalel Smotrich (6 seats), together control 13 seats, slightly fewer than in the previous election. The remaining seats in the bloc are held by the religious parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, each with seven seats.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, cast the vote as a referendum on Netanyahu, who has overseen the Gaza war, launched two attacks on Iran and vowed not to yield to Palestinian demands. With the count at nearly 90%, the result leaves Israel facing the likelihood of another caretaker government and gives Arab parties greater leverage in coalition negotiations.