Israel Election: No Clear Winner as Final Results Show
The final vote count in Israel's election has confirmed that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right coalition nor the main opposition alliance won enough votes to form a government. The result sets the stage for weeks of jockeying and political uncertainty.
According to the Israel Central Elections Committee, Mr. Netanyahu's Likud party and its hard-right allies won 53 seats in Parliament, falling short of the 61-seat threshold for an outright majority. The main opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief, won 48 seats. Two Arab parties secured 19 seats, their highest-ever number of seats.
The results are subject to potential "minor corrections" in coming days before they are submitted to Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, on November 4. Mr. Herzog will decide who he thinks has the best shot at assembling a majority and ask that person to try to form a government.
The election was widely considered a referendum on Mr. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, and his government, the most hard-right in Israeli history. Voter turnout was the highest since 1999, but despite widespread public anger over Mr. Netanyahu's refusal to take responsibility for preventing the October 7 attacks, the Jewish-led opposition parties failed to secure enough seats to immediately oust him.
The process to form a government could be bitter and drawn out, lasting weeks if not months. Once Mr. Herzog selects a candidate, that person has 28 days to negotiate with other factions to try to assemble a governing majority. A 14-day extension to the deadline can also be requested.
