Israel without a majority, 53 seats for Netanyahu and 48 for Eisenkot

With counting completed at 100 percent, the Israeli legislative elections produce a divided parliament. The bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu obtains 53 seats, Eisenkot’s bloc 48, Arab parties 19, out of a total of 120 seats in the Knesset. Neither of the two main factions therefore reaches the threshold of 61 seats required for an independent majority.

Within Netanyahu’s bloc, Likud confirms itself as the leading party with 27 seats, ahead of Yashar, Eisenkot’s formation. The gap between the two largest blocs thus remains five seats, a margin that alone is not enough for either to govern without the support of other parliamentary forces.

The Israeli Electoral Commission announced that official results will be declared on Wednesday, November 4, following a further check on the integrity of the vote. Likud had raised accusations that the count had been tampered with by Arab parties; the Israeli police denied these accusations. The Commission’s acting director general stepped in to clarify the body’s position:

“There is no basis for assuming systematic damage to the electoral process” — Dean Livneh, acting director general of the Israeli Central Elections Committee

While awaiting the formation of a new parliamentary majority, Netanyahu will remain prime minister at the head of a transitional government, as provided for by Israeli constitutional practice in cases of post-election deadlock.

The figure that stands out most in this election round is the 19 seats won by Arab parties, a record result compared to previous Israeli election rounds. It remains to be seen, in the coming weeks, which of the two main coalitions will manage to find the additional votes needed to form a stable government, a negotiation that will intertwine with the official proclamation of results set for November 4 and with the weight that Arab parties will want to assert in the talks.