Israel count: Netanyahu's bloc ahead but short of a majority

With about 76% of votes counted, partial results give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc 54 seats, seven short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Gadi Eisenkot's bloc has 47 and Arab parties 19. Turnout was 77.7%, the highest since 1999. The final tally is expected by Friday; then President Isaac Herzog consults party leaders on who should try to form a government.

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Why it matters

No bloc has the 61 seats needed to govern alone, so the result depends on coalition talks that could take weeks. If no government is formed, Netanyahu's current cabinet stays on as a caretaker and new elections would be called.

What to watch

The final count is expected by Friday, October 30, and official results are formally published on November 4.

How each side sees it

Netanyahu saysLikud is the largest party, the right-wing bloc has a majority among the Zionist public, and he will seek a national right-wing government.

Eisenkot saysThe public voted for change: "The old era is over, and Israel is starting a new era."

Sources

Checked against 3 established news sources:

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Published Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.