Israelis await final vote count as path to a government remains unclear

Final results from the Israeli parliamentary election were pending as of Thursday night, with officials counting approximately 500,000 ballots from military personnel, diplomats, and those in hospitals and prisons. Local media outlets projected that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc would secure 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The opposition bloc was projected to win 48 seats, while parties led by Arab members of the Knesset were expected to capture 19 seats.

No single bloc holds the 61 seats required to form a majority. This leaves Netanyahu without a guaranteed path to continue leading the government. It also means the opposition cannot unilaterally remove him from power. The outcome hinges on whether smaller parties will join an alliance with either side. Such a move would be historically notable, as no Arab-led party has joined a governing coalition since 2021.

Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who leads the main opposition faction, released his first public statement since Wednesday morning. He described the goal as a government serving all citizens that reflects the will of the people. Eisenkot did not explicitly confirm a partnership with Arab-led parties but said he remains open to working with them to reach the necessary majority. One such party, the Joint List, stated it was open to political cooperation following what it called a strong showing by Arab voters.

Netanyahu’s Likud party, which received the largest share of the vote, has accused Arab-led parties of stealing the election. The party requested an investigation by the electoral committee. Likud did not provide specific evidence to support its claims. The electoral committee stated that the number of reported irregularities in the relatively quiet election was low.

President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to appoint a candidate to form the next government next week. Traditionally, this role goes to the leader of the largest party, but it is not a constitutional requirement. Both Herzog and Eisenkot have expressed a desire to avoid a second round of elections in early next year. A new vote would raise questions about whether Arab citizens and Israelis who traveled home specifically to vote would return to the polls again.

The country faces deep divisions ahead of any new government. Issues include the military service exemption for the growing ultra-Orthodox population and international criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, faces corruption charges and accusations of delaying Gaza ceasefire deals for political gain. The threat of new attacks against Iran also looms, with the Trump administration suggesting strikes after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3.