Overview
- The Central Elections Committee released final results on Friday showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing bloc with 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc with 48 seats, and Arab‑led lists with a combined 19 seats.
- No party or bloc reached the 61‑seat majority needed to form a government, making small parties and the Arab lists decisive in upcoming negotiations and complicating pre‑election pledges by some Jewish parties not to rely on Arab support.
- Likud has publicly accused Arab parties of 'stealing' the vote and alleged foreign‑funded turnout, prompting Justice Noam Sohlberg to ask Shin Bet chief David Zini to open a limited inquiry while election officials say there is no evidence of a widespread compromise.
- Police detained several people in a separate Negev vote‑buying probe linked to support for Ra’am, but authorities have not established a connection between those arrests and the Shin Bet inquiry.
- The CEC will submit certified results to President Isaac Herzog by November 4, the new Knesset is due to be sworn in on November 10, and the nominated lawmaker will have the statutory window to try to form a government or risk a repeat election.