Israeli Election Leaves Both Major Coalitions Short of Knesset Majority

Israeli voters left the country without a clear governing path as partial results from Tuesday's parliamentary election showed both major blocs falling short of a majority. By Thursday morning, the Central Election Committee had tallied nearly 94% of ballots. The data indicated that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, possessed an obvious route to the 61 seats required to form a government.

The provisional counts suggest a tight contest. Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to win 26 seats, while Eisenkot's Yashar party is expected to take 21. The broader coalition led by Netanyahu is on pace for 53 seats, slightly ahead of Eisenkot's bloc at 48. Neither group has reached the threshold for a majority. The Arab parties, which are not aligned with either major bloc, are projected to secure 19 seats in total.

This arithmetic forces a difficult negotiation. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have previously ruled out forming a coalition directly with the Arab parties. In a speech following the vote, Netanyahu stated that a government including Arab parties would endanger Israel. However, the Joint List, an Arab-led alliance on track to win 12 seats, said it was ready for political cooperation to oust the current leadership. The group pledged to work with all its strength to bring an end to Netanyahu's rule and establish an alternative government.

Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, confirmed he had been in contact with representatives from both coalitions. His party is projected to win seven seats. Abbas indicated that his group remains open to working with either side, leaving the final composition of the government dependent on who can secure their support.

The counting process is expected to conclude on Thursday afternoon or evening local time. The official final results will be published on November 4. Until then, the political landscape remains uncertain as both sides prepare for post-election maneuvering.

Tensions rose on Wednesday when Netanyahu alleged that the election had been stolen by Arab parties. He claimed Likud had gathered evidence of fraud and submitted it to electoral, law enforcement, and security bodies, though he provided no specific details. Likud also stated that foreign entities had interfered by financially supporting Arab parties. The party did not immediately provide evidence to back these claims.

Opposition leaders quickly condemned the prime minister's remarks, maintaining that the elections were free and fair. Dean Livne, the acting director general of the Central Election Committee, told Israel's Kan radio station on Wednesday that there was no basis for allegations of election theft. The Israeli police announced they would investigate any credible allegations of wrongdoing. Eisenkot said on Wednesday night that he had spent the day in meetings and preparations to realize the will of the voter, writing that he is focused on the heavy task of bringing change to Israel.