Israel election ends without a majority: Netanyahu leads the count, coalition talks begin
Israel's election has left neither major bloc with the 61 seats needed to govern, with Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc projected at 53 and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc at 48. Coalition talks, a possible unity government, or another election are now the paths forward.
Israel's parliamentary election has produced no outright winner: with most votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leads but falls short of a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is also short, leaving coalition negotiations — and possibly a unity government or another election — to decide who governs next.
A lead without a majority
Israelis voted on Tuesday 27 October 2026 in the country's first parliamentary election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, with turnout reported at a record high. As counting continued into Wednesday, Israel's three main broadcasters projected Netanyahu's bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties at 53 seats, with the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot at 48 and parties representing Arab Israelis at 19, based on nearly 86 percent of votes tallied.
A government needs the support of at least 61 members of the 120-seat Knesset, so both main camps remain short: Netanyahu's bloc by eight seats and Eisenkot's by thirteen, on those projections. The figures are provisional and could still shift as remaining ballots, including votes cast outside voters' assigned polling stations, are counted.
What the opposition says, and what happens next
On 29 October, Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party and the leading opposition candidate, described the result as a vote of no confidence in Netanyahu's government and pledged to keep pressing for a change of government, even though his own bloc lacks a majority. Yair Golan, chairman of the left-wing Democrats party, said he intended to meet party leaders to discuss forming a government, while withholding the names of those he planned to meet.
Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker capacity while Israel's president decides whom to ask to form a government. Political analysts cited in the reporting see two broad paths from here: a broader unity government led by Netanyahu, possibly bringing in rivals, or a return to the polls if no coalition can be assembled. Netanyahu himself has called publicly for a strong right-wing national government, while United States President Donald Trump, who had urged Israelis to keep Netanyahu in office, said the prime minister had done very well.
Why Arab parties could decide the outcome
The most consequential shift in the projected results is the position of Arab parties, whose combined tally of 19 seats would put them in a potentially decisive role between the two main blocs. Arab Israelis, who make up about 21 percent of the population, turned out in unusually high numbers, according to the reporting, giving their parties more leverage in coalition talks than in the outgoing parliament.
That leverage comes with a complication that both camps must navigate: assembling a majority may require direct or indirect support from Arab parties, a prospect that some potential partners on the right have historically resisted. Opposition leaders have also signalled differing views on whether Arab parties should be part of a coalition, with Golan the most openly supportive among the opposition figures mentioned. Until a candidate secures 61 supporters, Israel stays under a caretaker government with negotiations continuing.
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Frequently asked questions
Who won Israel's October 2026 election?
No bloc won outright. On projections from nearly 86 percent of votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc led with 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc had 48, both short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. The results were still provisional when reported.
What happens if no party wins a majority in Israel?
The president consults party representatives and asks the candidate considered most likely to secure majority support to try to form a government. If no coalition can be assembled, the alternatives discussed by analysts are a broader unity government or another election, while the incumbent continues in a caretaker role.