Netanyahu Leads, but Israel Faces Another Fight for Power

Israel’s latest election delivered a winner on paper but no obvious path to government, leaving the country once again staring at the prospect of prolonged coalition negotiations after voters produced another fractured parliament.

With roughly 93% of ordinary ballots counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, ahead of the 48 seats captured by the camp led by Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot. The figures place Netanyahu in front, but still eight seats short of the 61 needed to command a majority, while Eisenkot remains even further from assembling a governing coalition.

The outcome immediately shifted attention from the ballot box to the bargaining that will determine who governs next. Adding to the uncertainty, roughly 600,000 double-envelope ballots have yet to be counted, while election officials say the remaining 7% of ordinary ballots require additional supervision before being added to the tally. Although the final numbers could still move, no rapid change in the overall picture is expected.

What has become clear already is the growing weight of Arab voters. Arab parties secured 19 seats, the strongest result ever recorded for those factions, giving them a larger presence in the next parliament at a moment when every seat could prove decisive in determining who can build a majority coalition.

The absence of a clear governing path prompted an unusually swift appeal from President Isaac Herzog, who used his first public remarks after the election to warn political leaders against pushing the country toward yet another trip to the polls.

“We must do everything possible, especially after yesterday, to avoid another election round. Therefore, I expect everyone who comes here to do so with an open mind,” Herzog said during a meeting at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Herzog said he expects to receive the official election results next week from Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg before beginning consultations with each parliamentary faction on the formation of a new government. He also praised the exceptionally high turnout, calling it a source of pride for Israeli society and evidence of the public’s enduring commitment to democratic participation.

Several smaller parties remain below the 3.25% electoral threshold, including Reservists at 2.6%, The People of Israel at 1.6% and Charedi Public at 0.2%, results that could further shape the final parliamentary map once the count is completed.

For Netanyahu, finishing first is only the start of the challenge. For Eisenkot, the numbers offer no clearer route to power. And for Israel, the election has produced the question that matters most in parliamentary politics: not who won the vote, but who can turn it into a government.

(Photo: © AndKronos)