Netanyahu Bloc Reaches 54 Seats as Count Near Completion, Still Short of Majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political camp gained ground on Wednesday as vote counting neared completion in Israel’s first national election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Despite the increase, the bloc remains short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority, leaving the nation without a clear path to a new government.

According to partial results from Israeli media, Netanyahu’s right-wing and religious bloc held 54 seats in the 120-seat Knesset with approximately 70% of votes counted. His Likud party led the coalition with 27 seats. The main opposition bloc held 47 seats, while Arab parties secured 19.

The numbers marked a shift from the initial exit polls reported Tuesday night, which had favored former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Eisenkot, whose Yashar party won 20 seats, urged Netanyahu to step aside after the early counts. Netanyahu countered from Jerusalem, declaring Likud the largest party and calling for a strong right-wing government.

President Donald Trump claimed credit for Netanyahu’s improved performance on Wednesday morning. In a Truth Social post, Trump cited a statement by Irving C. Schwartz, who wrote that Trump’s endorsement caused the tide to turn. Speaking near Air Force One, Trump said the exit polls were wrong and that the endorsement helped Netanyahu significantly, calling the result a potential stalemate or win.

Arab parties now hold the balance of power, with the Joint List winning 13 seats and Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, winning six. Abbas told Channel 12 that figures from both sides of the political divide had approached him for negotiations. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, argued on X that the opposition had secured a majority, writing that 65 is greater than 55 and that every citizen's vote carries equal weight.

Three paths remain for forming a government. Netanyahu can seek support from at least seven lawmakers outside his current bloc to reach 61 seats. Eisenkot can gather parliamentary recommendations, potentially including those from Arab parties, to persuade President Isaac Herzog to grant him the first mandate to form a government. A third option is a deadlock, which would trigger another election.

Herzog will select a candidate to form a government after the official results are released on November 4. That candidate will have 28 days to negotiate coalition agreements, with the option for a 14-day extension. Netanyahu will remain prime minister until a new government takes office.