Overview
- Provisional results from Wednesday show the Netanyahu-led bloc outperforming exit polls but falling short of the 61-seat majority, with Israeli TV projecting roughly 53 seats for his camp.
- About 600,000 double‑envelope ballots cast by soldiers, diplomats and others remain to be counted and could change seat totals and which bloc can reach 61 seats.
- President Isaac Herzog will begin formal consultations next week to name the lawmaker best placed to form a coalition, and he has signaled interest in avoiding a repeat election by exploring a unity option.
- Arab Israeli lists recorded their strongest projected showing in decades and are being cast as potential kingmakers, with some leaders saying they could support a government from outside a coalition rather than join it directly.
- President Trump told Axios he believed his endorsement helped Netanyahu’s performance, a claim reported in coverage that has entered the post‑vote narrative but does not affect the official counting or coalition process.