Netanyahu bloc maintains lead in Israeli election vote count

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing and religious parties held a lead over the opposition on Thursday morning, according to updated partial results from the Central Elections Committee.

Election Results and Seat Projections

As of the latest update, the Central Elections Committee reported that 5,278,597 votes had been counted across 12,032 voting stations. The results for the major blocs are as follows:

Netanyahu Bloc:

• Likud: 1,085,162 votes (20.65%)
• United Torah Judaism: 293,990 votes (5.59%)
• Otzma Yehudit: 292,985 votes (5.58%)
• Shas: 277,689 votes (5.28%)
• Religious Zionism-Zehut: 250,996 votes (4.78%)
• Total Votes: 2,200,822 (41.88%)
• Projected Seats: 53

Opposition Bloc:

• Yashar (led by Gadi Eisenkot): 849,121 votes (16.16%)
• B’Yachad: 476,857 votes (9.07%)
• The Democrats: 340,562 votes (6.48%)
• Yisrael Beiteinu: 311,728 votes (5.93%)
• Total Votes: 1,978,268 (37.64%)
• Projected Seats: 48

Arab parties are projected to secure 19 seats, according to Israeli media.

Political Reactions

Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the results showed "that the Likud is the largest party in Israel." He also claimed, "the right-wing bloc has a clear, overwhelming majority among the Zionist public, among the Jewish public, and among all those who support a Jewish state."

Netanyahu stated, "We must establish a strong national right-wing government ... We must not, absolutely must not, put Israel at risk by forming a government that relies on anti-Zionist parties—parties that oppose our very existence."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged political parties to approach coalition consultations with an open mind to avoid another election. "I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind," Herzog said during a meeting at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Government Formation Process

Once official results are published on Nov. 4, President Herzog will consult with party leaders. The process follows a legal timetable:

• The first candidate designated by the president has 28 days to form a coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.
• If unsuccessful, the president can assign another candidate 28 days.
• If no government is formed, a coalition of at least 61 MKs can request the president designate an alternative candidate, who then has 14 days to form a government.
• Failure to establish a government triggers another election approximately 90 days later.

Why it matters

While Netanyahu's bloc is projected to lead, neither the Netanyahu bloc nor the Eisenkot opposition bloc is expected to reach the 61-seat majority required to form a government, setting the stage for several weeks of political negotiations.

---

Sources

• nypost.com: Netanyahu bloc maintains edge over opposition in Israeli elections as vote count continues
• axios.com: Israel faces weeks of political wrangling after deadlocked election

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.