Netanyahu's Likud pulls ahead in Israel's election count, leaving Eisenkot needing Arab parties' support to oust him
Supporters of Benjamin Netanyahu at a rally during Israel's general election, as the highest turnout since 1999 left roughly 600,000 military absentee ballots uncounted and no winner declared.Arab parties surged to a projected record 18 or 19 seats, complicating any Gadi Eisenkot-led coalition that has been reluctant to depend on their backing.
With 85% of votes counted in Israel's first election since the October 7 Hamas attacks, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud has emerged as the largest single party, but his bloc of around 54-55 seats falls short of the 61 needed for a Knesset majority. Challenger Gadi Eisenkot, the 66-year-old former IDF chief of staff whose son died fighting in Gaza, declared "we have made history" on election night before revised counts swung back toward Netanyahu. A record turnout of more than 77% — the highest since 1974 — gave Arab-led parties a potentially decisive role, holding seats that could determine who governs.
Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party has a path to a majority coalition, but only by partnering with Arab-led parties he largely ruled out during the campaign.
Netanyahu called for a "strong right-wing government" and thanked his "loyal partners," signalling he has no intention of ditching far-right allies Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to form a unity deal.
A deadlock could leave Netanyahu in office as caretaker prime minister through prolonged coalition talks — or force a sixth election in seven years.
