Netanyahu's bloc finishes ahead in Israel's election but short of a majority, final results show

As of 7:28 a.m. ET, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp finished ahead of the opposition in Israel's Oct. 27 general election but well short of a majority, according to final results from the Central Elections Committee reported by Agence France-Presse on Friday, Oct. 30.

Netanyahu's coalition of right-wing and far-right parties won 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, with his Likud party remaining the largest faction at 27 seats, AFP reported. The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats. The Arab party groupings Raam and the Joint List won a combined 19 seats, emerging as potential kingmakers, according to AFP.

No bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority, setting the stage for coalition negotiations that could last weeks and the prospect of another election if talks fail, AFP reported. The Associated Press also reported that results released by election officials showed Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats and without a majority.

Seat totals

By party, Likud won 27 seats; Eisenkot's Yashar 21; Beyahad 12; the Joint Arab List 11; the Democrats 8; Raam 8; Yisrael Beitenu 7; United Torah Judaism 7; Otzma Yehudit 7; Shas 6; and Religious Zionism 6, the Israeli business daily Globes reported, citing the Central Elections Committee's completed count.

Fraud allegations

Before the final tally, Netanyahu's Likud amplified allegations that Arab parties received foreign funding to influence the vote, accusations rejected by the Arab-majority lists and by Qatar, AFP reported. Government officials have provided no evidence for the allegations, according to AFP. The Shin Bet security service said it was investigating suspected irregularities but that the probe was not meant to "cast aspersions or place blame on an entire sector," and the election committee's acting director general, Dean Livne, called any suggestion of widespread problems "entirely groundless," AFP reported.

What is not known

It is not yet known which party leader will be asked to try to form a government, or whether any coalition can reach 61 seats.