29.10.2026 13:03
In Israel's general elections, where 85.6 percent of the ballot boxes have been counted, the bloc led by Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to secure a majority, while President Isaac Herzog called on political leaders to take steps that would save the country from another round of elections.
As the vote-counting process continues after the general elections held in Israel, the right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to secure the majority needed to form a government. According to unofficial partial results with 85.6 percent of ballots counted, the pro-Netanyahu bloc won 53 seats, the opposition bloc 48, and Arab parties 19 seats.
WARNING FROM PRESIDENT HERZOG As political uncertainty deepened after the first results were announced, a notable move came from Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Making his first public statement after the election, Herzog addressed the political parties at a meeting held at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem, emphasizing that they should avoid taking the country to another election. In his statement, Herzog said, "After what happened yesterday, we must do everything we can to prevent another round of elections. Therefore, I expect everyone who comes here to be open-minded."
Netanyahu and Herzog CONSULTATIONS BEGIN NEXT WEEK President Herzog, stating that he expects to receive the official election results from Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg next week, announced that after the documents are delivered, he will begin one-on-one consultations with all factions in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) for the purpose of forming a new government.
"A BADGE OF HONOR FOR ISRAELI SOCIETY" Meanwhile, Herzog also touched on the extremely high voter turnout, describing this as "a badge of honor for Israeli society" and adding that the picture showed the depth of Israelis' "longing for democracy."
NETANYAHU 8 SEATS SHORT OF MAJORITY In the 120-seat Israeli parliament, the Knesset, the support of at least 61 lawmakers is required to form a government. According to current results, the pro-Netanyahu bloc is 8 seats short of the majority needed to form a government. The Netanyahu bloc, which was predicted to win 56 seats in earlier stages of vote counting, fell to 53 seats as counting progressed. In contrast, the total number of seats for Arab parties rose from 15 to 19.
THREE PARTIES BELOW ELECTION THRESHOLD According to the announced partial results, three parties are below the election threshold set at 3.25 percent.
Reserve Soldiers Party (Reservists): 2.6 percent People of Israel Party (People of Israel): 1.6 percent Haredi Public Opinion Party (Charedi Public): 0.2 percent