Israel election: Netanyahu bloc keeps slight lead as half the votes are counted
Early count leaves race open
Israel’s Central Elections Committee results, reported after 57.3% of votes were counted, projected 55 seats for the pro-Netanyahu bloc and 49 for the opposition. The figures are provisional and may shift as ballots are processed.
Netanyahu’s Likud party was projected to win 27 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar party had 21. Arab parties were projected to receive 15 seats in that count, and neither bloc was on course to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Absentee ballots may matter
Special ballots from people voting away from their assigned polling stations, including soldiers, are counted later. Some 650,000 such votes are expected, equivalent to about 14 Knesset seats.
The Israel Hayom newspaper reported that these ballots could substantially affect the final result. The complete tally may take days.
Coalition options divide parties
Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, urged opposition partners to consider joining with Arab parties to form a government. He said on X that there was an opportunity to create a government of change with Arab citizens of Israel.
Arab parties were described as having around 16 seats amid the count, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc led by Eisenkot had around 48. Several opposition parties have rejected cooperation with the Arab parties, leaving coalition negotiations uncertain.
Leaders signal competing plans
Netanyahu told supporters he wanted a strong right-wing government and said his party was the largest in Israel. He also rejected a government dependent on Arab-party support and cited a chance to address what he called the Iranian threat alongside US President Donald Trump.
Eisenkot called on Netanyahu to resign after the vote, saying the public had chosen change. Exit polls from major broadcasters had shown the blocs tied or separated by only a few seats, with no projection giving either side the 61 required for a majority.
Key points
- The initial count gave Netanyahu’s bloc a narrow advantage, but the results remain provisional.
- Neither political bloc is projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority.
- About 650,000 later-counted special ballots could influence the final outcome.
- Opposition leaders disagree over whether Arab parties should join a governing coalition.