Israeli Politicsupdated 1h ago3 min read
Netanyahu And Eisenkot Fall Short Of Knesset Majority As Israel Awaits Final Results
22outlets comparedA wider view of the story
14 Other6 Western Mainstream1 Asian1 IsraeliThis article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot blocs have a majority as final results remain unsettled. Likud-led bloc holds about 54 seats, well short of the 61-seat majority.
22 outlets told this the same way.
Deadlock After Voting
Israel’s election left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, both short of a parliamentary majority as Israelis awaited final results after the highest turnout in over a quarter-century. Netanyahu called for a “strong, right-wing, nationalist government,” and he dismissed partnering with Arab parties as treasonous, saying “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.” With 70% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud had 20.6% and Eisenkot’s Yashar had 15.9%, and the Central Elections Committee count did not indicate how many seats each would have in the 120-seat Knesset.
“With 70% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party has 20.6% and Eisenkot’s Yashar party has 15.9%.”
Eisenkot pledged to form a government and promised “a new era — an era of hope,” while the AP said weeks of negotiating could lie ahead before a prime minister is declared or another round of elections is called. The BBC said a Netanyahu voter in Ramat Gan told it that “we cannot relax and live in peace with neighbours that all they want is to erase us from the map,” as he linked his vote to fears about Arab-led parties after Tuesday’s election.
Competing Claims and Conditions
Eisenkot told supporters that “These are still exit poll results, and we must wait for the final count,” while he argued that “tonight Netanyahu faces a larger and stronger Zionist, responsible majority.” Netanyahu, speaking after 3 a.m. local time, asserted that “the Likud is the biggest party in Israel,” and he said “We are still waiting for the true results,” even as he called for “a right-wing, nationalist, strong government.” The Guardian said Netanyahu ran a “racist scare campaign” and described his 3am speech at party HQ, where he again said he wouldn’t partner with Palestinian parties, describing the idea as treasonous.
The New York Times reported that Netanyahu effectively ruled out including Arab parties in a governing coalition, while it said Eisenkot and his partners also balked at the idea, leaving both blocs needing negotiations to reach 61 lawmakers. In the BBC’s account from Ramat Gan, the Netanyahu voter said he was concerned about “the growing role of Arab-led parties,” arguing they would make it “very difficult to form a government” and that they “support our enemies.”
Coalition Math and Next Steps
The Guardian said the Netanyahu bloc held 54 seats while the anti-Netanyahu “Change” bloc reached 49 seats with 84% of ballots counted, leaving the Knesset short of the 61 majority needed for the 120-seat parliament. The Times of Israel live updates said that with 84% of ballots counted, the pro-Netanyahu bloc had 54 seats, the Eisenkot-led bloc had 49, and the Arab-led parties, the Joint List and Ra’am, dropped to 17 seats. The New York Times said Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, would invite the party leader he thinks has the best chance to assemble a governing coalition, and it described how a coalition would usually have to be made up of at least 61 lawmakers.
“The Netanyahu bloc hasn’t changed, at 54 seats, still short of the 61 majority needed for the 120-seat Knesset.”
The AP said Arab-led parties made a historic showing, but it was not clear if other opponents of Netanyahu’s far-right government would form a coalition with them for a majority in the next parliament. The stakes in the sources centered on whether blocs could agree on a governing arrangement without relying on Arab parties, with the New York Times reporting that exit polls pointed to “at least one surprise” as two Arab parties were projected to win as many as 17 or 18 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.