TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance maintained an advantage over rival parties on Thursday as election workers tallied ballots from the country’s first national vote since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, according to preliminary election figures.
With nearly 94 percent of ballots counted by Thursday morning, Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing and religious parties was projected to capture 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Fox News reported. While his Likud party remained the largest single faction with an estimated 26 seats and more than 20 percent of the popular vote, the coalition remained eight seats short of the 61-seat threshold required to build a majority.
An opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot was projected to win 48 seats, with his Yashar party securing 21, according to media projections. Meanwhile, two Arab-majority parties secured a projected 19 seats, creating a combined 67-seat potential majority against Netanyahu on paper, though deep political disagreements cloud any alliance between Jewish opposition factions and Arab lawmakers.
Surging Turnout Shakes Political Math
The ballot count reflected a sharp rise in participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel. Arab voter turnout reached roughly 80 percent, compared with 53.2 percent during the 2022 general election, according to data from the Israel Democracy Institute cited by Fox News. Overall turnout reached 77.7 percent by the time polls closed Tuesday evening, marking the highest level recorded at that hour since 1999, the Central Elections Committee reported.
Netanyahu hailed his party’s performance early Wednesday, rejecting pre-election polling that predicted sharper losses. Addressing supporters, the prime minister declared that “Likud is the largest party in Israel” and argued that right-wing parties hold a clear mandate. He cautioned against any political arrangement that relied on Arab factions, saying, “We must not, absolutely must not, put Israel at risk by forming a government that relies on anti-Zionist parties.”
Eisenkot, who also ruled out partnering with Arab factions during his campaign, maintained Thursday that the electorate had rejected Netanyahu’s leadership. Democrats leader Yair Golan urged fellow opposition figures to coordinate rapidly, writing on X that “sixty-seven seats demanded change” and calling on leaders to act on the electorate’s will.
Interference Inquiries and Coalition Clocks
Post-election tension escalated after Israel’s Channel 12 reported on an intelligence matter presented by Shin Bet Director David Zini to Central Elections Committee Chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg. The broadcaster reported allegations that funds originating in Qatar were funneled to stimulate voter turnout in Arab communities, prompting Sohlberg to order an agency inquiry.
Qatar forcefully rejected the report. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr. Majed Al-Ansari dismissed the accusations on social media as a “disinformation campaign,” adding, “We categorically deny allegations that Qatar has interfered in Israeli elections or funded any activities intended to influence their outcome.”
The Shin Bet stated that its inquiry gathered information independently without political instigation, warning the public not to draw premature judgments about voters who participated lawfully. Dean Livne, acting director general of the Central Elections Committee, also rejected claims of systemic wrongdoing, affirming that voting was conducted lawfully.
Final certified results are scheduled for release on Nov. 4, after which Israeli President Isaac Herzog will begin meetings with faction leaders to determine who will receive the mandate to build a government. A nominated lawmaker has 28 days, plus a potential 14-day extension, to assemble a viable coalition. Herzog stressed on Wednesday that he will do everything possible to prevent political gridlock from triggering another snap election.
