Israel Election Leaves No Clear Winner

Israeli voters faced a period of uncertainty on Wednesday after final tallies showed no single political bloc securing the 61 seats required to govern the 120-member Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party remained the largest faction, yet it failed to assemble a majority government on its own. The outcome forces a complex negotiation process that could last weeks, leaving the country without a definitive leader as of the count's near-completion.

With 85% of ballots counted, Likud captured 20.8% of the vote, a decline from 23.4% in the 2022 election. Gadi Eisenkot, the centrist former military chief, trailed with 16.1% for his Yashar party. Arab-led parties recorded 14.9% of the vote, marking a historic showing for those blocs. Local media projections placed Likud and its allies at 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s coalition bloc stood at 48. The Arab-led parties were projected to hold 19 seats, a number that could prove decisive in coalition formation.

Netanyahu, who seeks to remain the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has rejected the idea of partnering with Arab parties. He described such a alliance as treasonous and warned against a dangerous government that might include them. The Arab-led parties, representing 20% of Israel’s population, have likewise ruled out any partnership with him. Eisenkot has left the door open for a coalition with Arab parties, conditional on their recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and Hamas as an extremist group.

President Isaac Herzog stated that he must do everything possible to avoid another round of elections. He noted that the president is not required to task the leader of the largest party with forming a government. Eisenkot told supporters early Wednesday that it is a personal duty to respect the will of the people after an election with such high turnout. He emphasized the need to avoid a repeat of the five elections held between 2019 and 2022.

Voter turnout reached nearly 78%, the highest since 1999. Elad Naveh, control manager at the Central Elections Committee, said counting absentee ballots from military personnel and diplomats would continue until Thursday evening. The high participation rate reflects widespread unease over Netanyahu’s alliance with the far-right and anger over military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox population.

Mood at the United Arab List headquarters was joyful overnight. Party leader Mansour Abbas declared that the group is not on the sidelines. In Nazareth, Awni Zoabi expressed hope for a return to rationality, noting that the Arabic language had become treated as if it were a crime. Hanna Doukhan, a voter in Tel Aviv, said she sees no possibility of forming a government without the Arabs, while Eti Wissotzky-Cohen in Tel Aviv suggested the alliance could help repair society.

Netanyahu’s supporters, including Ran Cohen in Jerusalem, argued he is the only leader who knows how to speak to the world and protect Jewish identity. Detractors cited his ongoing corruption trial and the prolonged war in Gaza as reasons to unseat him. The stalemate leaves open the possibility of a minority government or new elections early next year if coalition talks fail.