We must no longer accept Netanyahu's racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,
Yair Golan said on X, as official election results released on Thursday confirmed that no clear winner emerged in Israel's parliamentary vote. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition nor the opposition bloc secured a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, according to official data.
The complete voting figures show Netanyahu's Likud party securing 27 seats, while the centrist Yashar party, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, won 21 seats. Across the broader political divide, Likud and its allied parties reached 53 seats, whereas Yashar and its allied parties gathered 48 seats. Arab-led parties—comprising the conservative, religiously oriented Ra'am and the more liberal Joint List—captured a combined 19 seats, nearly doubling their previous representation according to.
With the 61-seat threshold for a governing majority out of reach for either primary bloc, weeks or months of intense political negotiations are set to follow. The electoral stalemate marks Israel’s first national vote since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, which killed around 1,200 people and set in motion a multifront war spanning Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and direct conflicts with Iran. Voters headed to the polls amidst ongoing military campaigns and domestic battles over judicial reforms and military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Arab Parties Hold Coalition Balance
The surge in Arab voter turnout—driven by what some community members described to cbsnews.com as a difficult period under Netanyahu's hard-right government—has left the two Arab parties holding the balance of power. While left-wing party leader Yair Golan urged his opposition allies to work with Arab parties to unseat Netanyahu, prior to the election, both Netanyahu and Eisenkot promised to assemble an exclusively Jewish majority.
Presidential Mandate and Alternative Scenarios
Attention now shifts to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Although his role is largely ceremonial, Herzog alone holds the authority to decide who receives the first mandate to attempt forming a government. He is not automatically obligated to award it to the largest party, but rather to the candidate he determines has the best prospect of assembling 61 supporting votes. On Wednesday, Herzog urged politicians to maintain an open mind as coalition discussions commence.
Analysts note that another alternative to breaking the gridlock is a unity government between the pro-Netanyahu and opposition blocs, excluding both the ultra-Orthodox factions and the Arab parties. Such a setup would raise questions over who would serve as prime minister, or whether Netanyahu and Eisenkot might rotate the position.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu casts his vote in a close election that could end his time in power. Follow AP's live updates. https://t.co/RLBjMCfUjC
If neither bloc succeeds in building a stable coalition, Israel faces the prospect of holding repeat elections, mirroring the pattern of five inconclusive national votes between 2019 and 2022.
