Netanyahu Bloc Falls Short of 61 Seats as Arab Parties Secure Historic 19

Final election results released early Friday morning confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc has lost its parliamentary majority. The bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, falling short of the 61 required to govern alone. The main opposition bloc won 48 seats, while Arab-led parties captured 19, marking their highest-ever representation.

The numbers create a mathematical challenge for all sides. Parties must now form a governing coalition of at least 61 seats. This requires unlikely alliances between ultra-Orthodox, secular, and Arab-led groups. Centrist politician Yair Lapid acknowledged the difficulty on X, stating, “Now comes the truly hard part,” while asking the public for patience during the formation process.

President Isaac Herzog will receive the certified results next Wednesday. He will then assign a mandate to form a government. That mandate could go to Netanyahu, as the leader of the largest bloc, or to another figure deemed capable of building a majority. If multiple attempts fail, Israel faces a new election early next year. Herzog said he intends to do everything possible to avoid that outcome.

Tensions rose before the final counts were published. Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified claims that Arab-led parties “stolen” the election, potentially with foreign help. The opposition accused Netanyahu of demonizing the Arab population, which comprises 20% of the country. They noted that high turnout was driven by outrage over Netanyahu’s far-right allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose party lost seats.

In his first public comment on Friday, Netanyahu posted on X that it is forbidden to form a coalition with Arab parties. He suggested it would be treasonous for his rival, Gadi Eisenkot, to partner with them. This move appears designed to block any potential alliance between the opposition and the Arab-led bloc.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of the election committee, stated that “serious suspicions” of foreign interference had been raised. He wrote to the Shin Bet security agency asking them to investigate, noting he could not verify the claims independently. Israeli media reported that some of Netanyahu’s party members were pointing to Qatar, a nation many Israelis view as a patron of Hamas. Qatar denied the allegations, calling them “ridiculous and dangerous.”

The election commission said the investigation is based on classified intelligence. Acting director general Dean Livne warned that reports about the probe were “entirely unfounded” and said it does not affect the final results. The committee requested findings from the Shin Bet within a week. The Shin Bet said its investigation was not meant to “cast aspersions” on any specific population sector.

The new Knesset is expected to be sworn in on Nov. 10. Once it convenes, Eisenkot’s bloc could join forces with the Arab parties to elect a new speaker. This would give them control over the parliamentary agenda. If Netanyahu loses office, it could trigger a cascade of events, including the resumption of corruption trials and a security inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack.