Israel’s final election count has confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc has lost its parliamentary majority, but whether opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot can assemble a government to replace him remains an open question as negotiations begin behind closed doors.
The completed count, published early Friday by Israel’s Central Elections Committee, gave Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for Eisenkot’s opposition alliance. The two predominantly Arab parties secured a historic 19 seats, placing them in a potentially decisive position.
Netanyahu’s Likud emerged as the largest individual party with 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot’s Yashar with 21 and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad with 12. Final voter turnout reached 77.9%, according to the Central Elections Committee results.
ISRAEL HEADS INTO DEEPLY DIVIDED ELECTION AS OCT. 7 RECKONING LOOMS: WHAT TO KNOW
But the numbers leave neither major bloc with the 61 seats required for a majority, opening a complex political struggle involving potential partnerships with Arab parties, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers or a unity government bringing together longtime rivals.
A source familiar with opposition discussions, who spoke to Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity, described the outcome as a “bitter stalemate,” but not an impossible political situation.
The source said opposition leaders are approaching coalition negotiations with patience and experience rather than treating the inconclusive results as a defeat, arguing that the next government could depend on their ability to forge partnerships that previously seemed unlikely.
FORMER ISRAELI ARMY CHIEF GADI EISENKOT EMERGES AS NETANYAHU’S LEADING ELECTION CHALLENGER
In a potentially significant development Friday, Israeli journalist Yishai Cohen of Kikar HaShabbat reported that Rabbi Dov Lando, a leading ultra-Orthodox religious authority, had instructed lawmakers from Degel HaTorah, part of United Torah Judaism, to open discussions with the opposition.
According to the report, the objective is to reach an arrangement protecting the status of yeshiva students amid the longstanding dispute over mandatory military service.
Channel 12 reported that figures within the ultra-Orthodox party were considering allowing an Eisenkot-led minority government to survive through outside parliamentary support, potentially breaking with Netanyahu.
“Our votes are not in Netanyahu’s pocket,” party figures told Channel 12, according to a translation of the Hebrew-language report.
However, the office of United Torah Judaism Chairman Yaakov Asher denied that any instruction to begin negotiations had been issued.
Such an arrangement would represent a significant shift from the party’s longstanding alliance with Netanyahu. Eisenkot’s pledge to expand military conscription among ultra-Orthodox men remains a major obstacle, although Channel 12 reported that party figures were willing to consider a compromise on the issue.
The source familiar with opposition discussions told Fox News Digital that Eisenkot’s camp had been preparing for the possibility of cooperation with ultra-Orthodox parties well before the election, suggesting that some of the options now being discussed had already been under consideration behind the scenes.
According to the source, such an arrangement could require compromises over military service and potentially outside parliamentary support from Arab lawmakers, bringing together political factions whose positions appeared irreconcilable during the campaign.
FORMER ISRAELI PM EMERGES AS WILD CARD IN HIGH-STAKES ELECTION WITH MIDDLE EAST’S FUTURE AT STAKE
Another possibility rests with the Arab parties, which nearly doubled their parliamentary representation from 10 to 19 seats following a surge in turnout.
But the prospects of an Arab-backed government have drawn conflicting assessments.
Channel 12 reported Thursday that Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas had expressed deep skepticism about the possibility of establishing an Eisenkot-led minority government supported by Arab lawmakers.
Israeli political commentator Amit Segal also argued that the available options had narrowed considerably, identifying a Netanyahu-Eisenkot unity government or another election as the two principal remaining possibilities.
Mohammed Majadla, head of the news division at Radio Nas and a Channel 12 political commentator, offered a different assessment in an interview with Fox News Digital, arguing that both Ra’am and the Joint List were prepared to use their parliamentary influence to prevent Netanyahu from returning to power.
“The two Arab lists agree on two things,” Majadla said in the Hebrew-language interview. “First, they are prepared to do everything within the political process to ensure Netanyahu does not return to power.”
According to Majadla, that could include joining a coalition, providing outside parliamentary support or abstaining from key votes.
He said their second shared priority was avoiding another election, which Arab political leaders fear could reverse their gains.
“The ball is now in Eisenkot’s court, not in the Arab parties’ court,” Majadla said. “As far as the Arab parties are concerned, I can tell you they are truly prepared to do everything to make this happen.”
Majadla suggested that public declarations should not necessarily be treated as final positions, particularly as parties seek leverage during coalition negotiations.
The difficulties extend beyond the Arab parties. Eisenkot’s potential partners include politicians who strongly oppose cooperation with ultra-Orthodox factions, while several opposition leaders campaigned against relying on Arab lawmakers to govern.
NETANYAHU FIGHTS FOR POLITICAL FUTURE AS ISRAEL HEADS TO POLLS WITH IRAN THREAT LOOMING
A national unity government involving Likud and Yashar would offer a more straightforward mathematical route to a majority, but would require Eisenkot to reconsider his campaign pledge not to join a Netanyahu-led government.
For Netanyahu, the lengthy coalition formation process could provide additional opportunities. If Eisenkot receives the mandate to form a government but fails, President Isaac Herzog could assign the task to another candidate, potentially giving Netanyahu another chance to assemble a coalition. If successive efforts fail, Israel could face another election.
Despite the obstacles, the source familiar with opposition discussions pointed to Bennett and Lapid’s experience navigating complex coalition negotiations as an important asset.
“They’ve both played this game many times. They know it, and they’re not rattled,” the source said, according to a translation of the Hebrew-language conversation.
The source suggested that Bennett’s experience working with Netanyahu gives him a particular understanding of the prime minister’s negotiating tactics, while Lapid brings additional experience in coalition-building.
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, one of the opposition’s senior figures, acknowledged Friday that forming a government would be considerably more difficult than campaigning against Netanyahu.
“Now comes the truly hard part: trying to form a government,” Lapid wrote on X, urging supporters to remain patient.
“It takes place in small rooms, slowly, away from the cameras,” he wrote, according to a translation of his Hebrew-language statement, emphasizing the importance of negotiations conducted out of public view.
The negotiations will also unfold against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s Middle East agenda.
The source familiar with opposition discussions said understanding Washington’s regional priorities could become an important consideration in shaping a future government, although no specific American role in coalition negotiations has been confirmed.
The election results are scheduled to be formally submitted to President Herzog on November 4, following remaining verification procedures. The new Knesset is expected to be sworn in November 10.
For now, the election has settled the question of how Israelis voted, but not who will govern them. A source familiar with the negotiations concluded: “Whoever manages to forge new partnerships will move forward. Whoever doesn’t will remain stuck.”