Early results put Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc at 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc at 48, leaving both short of a Knesset majority. The Joint List and Ra’am won 19 seats between them in the early count, giving the Arab parties potential leverage in coalition talks.
Israel Election 2026 Leaves Knesset Split
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc led Israel’s early election count with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, eight short of the 61 needed for a majority. The opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats in the preliminary tally. Official results were due on November 4.
Netanyahu’s Likud remained the largest party with 27 seats, down from 32 in 2022. The Joint List took 11 seats and Ra’am secured eight, bringing the Arab parties’ combined tally to 19, up from 10 in 2022. Turnout approached 78%, compared with about 71% in the previous election.
Israel Election 2026 Coalition Options
Eisenkot’s bloc could reach 67 seats with both Arab parties. Their lawmakers could join a coalition or support a government from outside. Eisenkot’s party has set conditions for cooperation, including calling on the Arab parties to designate Hamas a terrorist organisation and back its disarmament. Netanyahu has ruled out working with Arab parties.
A unity coalition involving Likud, Yashar, Together and Yisrael Beiteinu would also total 67 seats on the early count. That arrangement faces a political obstacle because Eisenkot campaigned on replacing Netanyahu. Another route for Netanyahu would be to draw enough lawmakers from rival groups to make up his eight-seat shortfall.
Israel Election 2026 Puts Herzog In Focus
President Isaac Herzog is expected to consult the parties before choosing a leader to try to form a government. The nominee gets 28 days to assemble a coalition and can receive an extension of up to 14 days.
If attempts to form a government fail, Israel could return to the polls. The country held five elections between 2019 and 2022. This time, the early count gives Netanyahu the largest bloc, while the negotiations will determine who can secure enough support to govern.
