Israel Election Results: Netanyahu’s Bloc Leads but Falls Short of Majority, Raising Fears of Political Crisis
Official results from Israel’s general election show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing and far-right bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of the 61 seats needed to form a government. Netanyahu’s Likud party remained the largest party with 27 seats. The opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot won…
Official results from Israel’s general election show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing and far-right bloc won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling short of the 61 seats needed to form a government. Netanyahu’s Likud party remained the largest party with 27 seats.
The opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, while Arab parties secured the remaining 19 seats. The result marks a significant setback for Netanyahu, whose bloc held 68 seats in the previous Knesset.
Following the results, Likud made unverified allegations of electoral interference and “vote stealing” against Arab parties. The party also claimed that Qatar had funded Arab parties to buy votes, allegations firmly denied by the parties concerned and by Qatar.
Gadi Eisenkot accused Netanyahu’s camp of attempting to challenge the legality of the election results after losing its majority. Netanyahu remains in office as prime minister, but difficult coalition negotiations are expected as parties seek to secure the seats needed to form a government.
If no candidate can secure the support of at least 61 Knesset members, Israel could face another general election early next year. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has said that new elections should be avoided at all costs.
