Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suffered a significant setback after his political bloc failed to secure a parliamentary majority in the country’s latest election, setting the stage for difficult coalition negotiations.
Final election results released on Friday showed that Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament, while the main opposition bloc won 48 seats. Arab-led parties captured the remaining 19 seats, giving them potentially decisive influence over the formation of the next government.
Neither of the two major blocs reached the 61 seats required to command a parliamentary majority, leaving political leaders with the task of negotiating alliances to establish a government.
The outcome presents a challenge for Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, whose governing coalition has lost its previous parliamentary majority.
Despite the setback, Netanyahu remains in office as negotiations begin, and his political camp has not been ruled out of forming another government.
The opposition, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, faces its own difficulties. Although its members campaigned to unseat Netanyahu, disagreements over whether to cooperate with Arab-led parties could complicate efforts to assemble the numbers needed to govern.
Meanwhile, allegations of possible election interference have added to the political tension. Israeli election authorities have cautioned against claims of widespread electoral violations, while the investigation into alleged foreign interference has not established that Arab voters collectively engaged in wrongdoing.
The next stage will involve consultations with President Isaac Herzog, who will determine which political leader should receive the first opportunity to form a government after the results are formally certified.
If negotiations fail, Israel could face another election, prolonging the uncertainty over its political leadership.
The results have therefore left Netanyahu facing a difficult political test, with the balance of power in parliament depending on negotiations among parties with sharply different positions.
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