Netanyahu loses parliamentary majority as Israel confirms election results

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
November 05, 2026

Photo courtesy: Globe Eye News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing bloc has lost its parliamentary majority following the October 27 general election, leaving no political alliance with enough seats to form a government as President Isaac Herzog begins coalition consultations.

Israel’s Central Elections Committee formally approved the results on Wednesday, November 4, confirming that Netanyahu’s Likud party secured 27 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

Together with his far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies, Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, eight short of the 61 required for a majority.

The opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats, while two Arab-led parties won a combined 19 seats, their strongest parliamentary showing on record.

The results leave Israel facing complex negotiations over who will lead its next government, with neither of the main political blocs able to govern independently.

Final election results show divided parliament

Likud emerged as the largest individual party with 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar party with 21.

The Together alliance secured 12 seats, while the Arab-led Joint List won 11. The Democrats and Ra’am each received eight seats.

Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit and United Torah Judaism each secured seven seats, while Shas and Religious Zionism won six apiece.

The election also recorded unusually high voter participation. Official turnout reached approximately 77.9%, the highest level in decades.

The Central Elections Committee approved the final seat allocation after completing its review of the vote count and election-related complaints.

Election authorities reject claims of compromised results

The certification followed allegations of electoral fraud raised by Netanyahu and his political allies, particularly concerning voting in Arab communities.

However, the Central Elections Committee said its review found no irregularities that compromised the election or changed its outcome.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who chairs the committee, presented the certified results to Herzog on November 4.

Separately, Israel’s domestic security agency, Shin Bet, has examined allegations of foreign involvement in election-related activities. No evidence has been established showing that such activities altered the election outcome.

The distinction remains important: allegations under investigation do not invalidate the certified results.

Herzog begins talks to form a government

With the results certified, President Herzog has begun consulting representatives of the parties elected to the next Knesset.

The discussions will help determine which lawmaker receives the first opportunity to assemble a governing coalition.

Eisenkot has attracted support from opposition parties seeking to replace Netanyahu.

The Arab-led Ra’am party, which holds eight seats, also announced its intention to recommend Eisenkot for prime minister. That support would bring the number of lawmakers backing his candidacy to 56, compared with the 53 seats held by Netanyahu’s electoral bloc.

However, an endorsement during presidential consultations does not automatically mean that a party will join or support a future government.

Some opposition figures have previously ruled out governing arrangements involving Arab-led parties, complicating efforts to assemble a majority.

The president has not yet formally assigned a candidate the task of forming the next government.

Under Israeli law, the lawmaker selected by Herzog will initially receive 28 days to form a government. The president may grant an extension of up to 14 additional days.

If that attempt fails, the president can assign the task to another lawmaker or initiate further constitutional procedures.

Failure to establish a government after the available procedures could lead to another election.

Netanyahu remains prime minister while the government formation process continues. His bloc’s loss of a parliamentary majority does not automatically remove him from office.

Herzog’s consultations will determine which candidate receives the first opportunity to negotiate a coalition capable of securing the Knesset’s confidence.