Israel's final count leaves Netanyahu's bloc eight seats short of a majority, with Arab parties winning a record 19 seats
Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud party has filed witness statements and physical evidence with Israeli police alleging cash-filled envelopes containing Ra'am ballots were distributed to manipulate the vote.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid confirmed on Friday that coalition talks are under way behind the scenes, urging patience as rival party leaders hold urgent meetings to avoid a fresh election. Likud emerged as the largest single party with 27 seats, but Netanyahu's bloc lost ground compared to the 64 seats it held after the 2022 election. President Isaac Herzog is due to receive the certified results on 4 November and will then decide who is best placed to attempt to form a government.
Arab voter turnout surged to roughly 80%, up sharply from 53.2% in 2022, delivering the historic 19-seat haul.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot faces a high-stakes dilemma: partner with Arab parties for a 67-seat majority or seek a unity deal with Netanyahu.
Washington is reported to be frustrated by the deadlock, with concern that Netanyahu could push Trump to resume bombing Iran during any caretaker period.
