Veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently leading his rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, in Israel’s general election, though neither side has secured the 61-seat majority required to form a government.
With 85% of the ballots counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party and its right-wing and ultra-Orthodox allies are projected to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc holds 48.
The election, which saw a robust 77.7% turnout, comes at a critical juncture for the nation following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks and the subsequent regional wars. Netanyahu has remained steadfast in his commitment to a strong, nationalistic government, explicitly rejecting the prospect of relying on anti-Zionist Arab parties to maintain power.
Conversely, the opposition has signaled a desire to form a 'change' coalition, with some factions openly courting Arab-led parties—which are on track for an unprecedented 19 seats—to tip the scales.
The political landscape remains volatile, with hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots still to be counted and President Isaac Herzog expected to begin the formal process of coalition building in the coming days.
As the country grapples with the fallout of recent security failures and the ongoing necessity of regional defense, the prospect of another round of elections looms if a stable governing majority cannot be reached.
Tags
