Overview
- Voters went to the polls on Tuesday in Israel’s first nationwide election since October 2023, and initial tallies produced no 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
- With about 80–86% of ordinary votes reported, provisional counts give Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc roughly 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition about 48 seats, while Arab-led lists are projected at 17–19 seats and could be decisive.
- Hundreds of thousands of absentee “double-envelope” ballots, including those from military personnel and diplomats that are counted later, remain to be processed and have the potential to shift seat totals.
- Netanyahu has alleged fraud after police arrested suspects and found cash in a probe tied to alleged vote-buying; authorities and the election commission say investigations and the official count are ongoing.
- President Isaac Herzog will hold consultations with party leaders after the count is certified and may task a candidate with 42 days to form a coalition, a process that could produce weeks of negotiation, a minority government, or new elections.