All votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud emerges as biggest party with 27 seats; majority eludes both blocs

The final vote count in Israeli elections puts Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party at the forefront with the highest number of 27 seats, but his bloc secured only 53 seats, 8 short of the majority mark of 61 in the Knesset.

The opposition bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu as the premier bagged 48 seats, according to official Central Elections Committee (CEC) figures released on Thursday after all votes had been counted.

The Arab parties won a record-breaking combined total of 19 seats.

The official vote count was announced amid a Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) investigation into suspicions that foreign entities funnelled money into Israel to influence voter turnout in the Arab sector.

The official vote count announced on Thursday included the remaining double-envelope ballots, which were the last to be counted.

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Likud performs better than pre-poll projections, Yashar falls short

Most TV channel polls before the elections showed Likud receiving significantly fewer seats, while the other parties in Netanyahu’s bloc were projected to gain more.

The polling before the elections had shown the opposition bloc in the lead, and Yashar was projected to be the largest party in the Knesset.

However, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar is projected to enter the Knesset with 21 seats, while B’Yachad, led by Naftali Bennett, is expected to enter with 12 seats.

Yair Golan’s Democrats party is expected to enter the Knesset with eight seats, and Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu with seven.

The prospect of a unity government involving Netanyahu and Eisenkot remains possible, though Eisenkot had previously rejected serving under Netanyahu, even ruling out a rotation government arrangement.

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The political deadlock, if unresolved, could ultimately lead to another election, although the parties may still reach an agreement through coalition negotiations.

The president is required to consult the Knesset factions before deciding who receives the task of forming a government.

Members of the Arab parties have called to do whatever is possible to prevent Netanyahu from remaining in office.

Yoav Gallant calls for ‘Jewish, Zionist, national unity govt’

Former defence minister Yoav Gallant called for the establishment of a broad Jewish, Zionist national unity government, warning against forming a coalition dependent on parties that do not recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.

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“Unity, not dependence. Now is the time to establish a Jewish, Zionist, national unity government,” Gallant said.

“Personal and political considerations must not lead to the formation of a government dependent on parties that do not recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people,” he added.