Netanyahu's Bloc Falls 8 Seats Short of Majority in Israel

Israelis voted on Tuesday, and the final results confirmed a shift in power that will require weeks of negotiation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc lost its parliamentary majority, leaving the country without a clear path to government.

The definitive count showed that Netanyahu’s coalition partners secured 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The main opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. Parties with Arab leadership captured the remaining 19 seats, marking their highest tally in history. Any party seeking to form a government must assemble a coalition of at least 61 members.

President Isaac Herzog will receive the certified results on Wednesday. He will then task one leader, likely the head of the largest party, with forming the new cabinet. If that process fails, Israel will return to the polls early next year. Herzog stated this week that he intends to do everything possible to prevent a second election.

The path forward is complicated by deep ideological divides. The opposition campaigned aggressively to remove Netanyahu from power, yet they now face a choice: join forces with Arab-led parties or align with Netanyahu in a potential unity government. Centrist leader Yair Lapid told Israelis on X that the difficult part is just beginning. "If you want to know if something is happening behind the silence you are hearing now, the answer is yes," he wrote.

Tensions flared in the hours before the final results were announced. Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified claims that Arab-led parties had stolen the election, possibly with foreign aid. They pointed to Qatar, a country many Israelis view as a patron of Hamas. Qatar rejected the accusations, calling them ridiculous and dangerous. The head of the election commission, Judge Noam Sohlberg, told the Shin Bet security agency to investigate serious suspicions of foreign interference. However, the commission later stated that the investigation relied on classified intelligence and that reports about the probe were totally unfounded.

In his first public statement on Friday, Netanyahu declared it forbidden to form a coalition with Arab parties. The opposition criticized this move, arguing that Netanyahu was demonizing the Arab population, which makes up 20% of the country. Arab voter turnout was higher than in previous elections, driven by anger over Netanyahu’s ultra-right allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir’s party lost seats in the vote.

The Shin Bet sought to calm public anxiety, noting that its investigation did not aim to cast doubt on the entire Arab population, which exercised its democratic right to vote. The election commission wrote to a concerned member of parliament, stating that accusations of systematic violations of electoral integrity lacked merit. The commission expects the Shin Bet’s conclusions within one week.

The new Knesset members are expected to take their seats on November 10. Before the cabinet is formed, the Eisenkot bloc could ally with Arab parties to elect the new speaker of the house. This would give them control over the parliamentary agenda and the ability to push legislation. Hundreds of Israelis have already protested near Eisenkot’s home, urging him to form an alliance with Arab parties. Danny Elgarat, brother of a deceased hostage, told the crowd that Arab citizens are not a security danger but contribute to society.

If Netanyahu is removed from office, he will face immediate legal pressure. He must answer to years of corruption charges, and a probe into security failures before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack is likely to open. Critics say Netanyahu has tried desperately to avoid these consequences.