Netanyahu bloc leads Israeli election but falls short of majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc finished first in Israel’s general election but failed to secure a parliamentary majority, leaving parties facing difficult coalition negotiations.

Final results gave Netanyahu’s alliance of right-wing, far-right and religious parties 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, short of the 61 required to govern. Netanyahu’s Likud remained the largest party with 27 seats. The opposition bloc led by former general Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats, while the Arab-led Joint List and Ra’am secured a combined 19 seats.

The result leaves neither of the two main blocs with a direct route to power. Opposition politicians are considering whether to seek support from the Arab-led parties despite resistance from some right-wing members of their alliance. A unity government involving Netanyahu and Eisenkot has also been discussed. If repeated attempts to establish a government fail, Israel could hold another election.

Netanyahu said a coalition with Arab parties must not be formed. Likud also alleged foreign involvement and irregularities benefiting Arab-Israeli groups, including purported funding from Qatar and Turkey. The Arab parties and Qatar rejected the accusations. Israeli police said they had no evidence supporting Likud’s claims, while an election commission official described allegations of widespread irregularities as groundless. The head of the election committee separately asked the Shin Bet security agency to examine foreign-interference claims he said he could not verify.

The results must be certified before President Isaac Herzog consults party leaders and selects a candidate to try to form a government.