Israeli Election Results Remain Unclear as Bloc Leaders Await Final Seat Count
Preliminary counts show the opposition bloc holding about 67 seats, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition has roughly 53, leaving the formation of a new government uncertain.
Preliminary results from Tuesday's election for Israel's 26th Knesset indicate that the opposition bloc, which includes the Eisenkot bloc and Arab parties, holds about 67 seats, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition stands at roughly 53 seats. Likud remains the largest single party with around 26 seats, but the overall vote suggests a decline in support for the incumbent government.
Senior figures from the Eisenkot bloc told Haaretz that they cannot make strategic decisions until the full seat distribution is known, saying, "We are operating in the dark." They added that the bloc's four party leaders will wait for the final results before determining their next steps.
Turnout among Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem broke records, with more than 10,000 voters casting ballots, largely for the Joint List. This marks a significant increase compared to the previous election, though most East Jerusalem residents remain ineligible to vote in national elections.
Analysts note that the current stalemate could lead to a caretaker government and possibly another election, which would allow Netanyahu to remain prime minister in the short term. However, opposition leaders have indicated they are unlikely to form a government that relies on Arab parties.
Hadar Susskind, director of New Jewish Narrative, warned that a refusal by the opposition to work with Arab parties could damage its standing among progressive members of the U.S. Congress. >"If you're a progressive member of Congress who cares about Israel and does not support Netanyahu and you've heard for so many years that 'Netanyahu is not Israel' and that it's a democracy, and then you see that the opposition has 67 seats and can form a government, but they won't do it – what's the problem?"
A petition signed by Israeli cultural figures, including actor Itay Tiran and singer Achinoam Nini, called on the opposition bloc to unite across Jewish and Arab factions to create a more inclusive political reality. The petition urged leaders to rise above prejudice and consider the outreach from Arab parties.