Preliminary results from Israel’s parliamentary election indicate that the coalition led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ahead of the bloc led by former Chief of the General Staff Gadi Eisenkot, but has not yet secured the required majority.
With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party, together with its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies, is set to take 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, the BBC reports.
By contrast, the opposition Yashar party led by Eisenkot and its three partners are projected to win 48 seats.
Arab parties are winning a record 19 seats and could potentially influence the formation of the next government. Most Jewish factions have previously refused to work with them, although figures in the opposition bloc are calling for a coalition that includes them in order to change the current government.
Both leaders have said they intend to form a new cabinet, but to do so they must secure at least 61 seats. The final results will be announced after votes cast by military personnel and diplomats are counted, after which President Isaac Herzog will begin consultations with the political parties. If neither side is able to form a coalition, the country will face another election.
- Turnout in Israel’s election on Sunday was the highest since 1973, at more than 74%. Long queues formed outside polling stations. The election was the first since Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 and the wars in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, as well as the military conflict with Iran.