Netanyahu wins Israel's election but falls short of a governing majority

Jerusalem — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud won Tuesday's parliamentary election in Israel, but without the majority needed to keep governing, according to the Central Elections Committee's partial count.

With more than three quarters of votes counted, Likud remains the largest single party, with about 27 of the Knesset's 120 seats. It is followed by Yashar!, the party of former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, with about 22, and B'Yachad, the party of former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, with 11 to 12.

By blocs, the coalition led by Netanyahu — right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties — holds about 54 seats, seven short of the 61 needed for an absolute majority. The opposition led by Eisenkot stands at roughly 47 to 49, while the two Arab lists, the Joint List and Ra'am, win between 17 and 19 seats and hold the key to any government.

Final turnout was 77.7%, the highest since 1999, in the first election since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack and the wars that followed across the Middle East.

Netanyahu claimed victory and proposed a national right-wing government, but ruled out a cabinet backed by Arab parties. Eisenkot, meanwhile, urged him to step aside. Both had ruled out an alliance with Arab parties during the campaign, which complicates the arithmetic to reach 61.

The final result is expected Wednesday, followed by weeks of negotiations: President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders and task the candidate with the best chance of forming a government. If no bloc reaches a majority, a unity government or even a new election cannot be ruled out.

Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat (file)

Source: El País, EFE and The Times of Israel