Israel’s Central Elections Committee, chaired by Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, announced on Wednesday that opposition parties collectively received 67 of the 120 seats in the new Knesset, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling bloc secured 53 seats. The announcement came a day after the vote, highlighting a split outcome that left no single faction with the 61‑seat threshold required for a majority government without external support.
Within the opposition’s 67 seats, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party emerged as the dominant force with 48 seats. Arab parties, including the Joint List coalition of three parties and the Muslim Ra’am party, captured 19 seats collectively, underscoring a continued significant presence for Arab voices in Israeli politics. Both Netanyahu’s bloc and the Yashar coalition would need to seek cross‑bloc alliances to govern effectively.
President Isaac Herzog, upon receiving the results, called for a collaborative approach to forming a new government. He urged political parties to "compromise on their election promises to avoid another election and enable the formation of a stable government," adding that "in the current reality, in which there is no clear winner after the election, I ask for originality and creativity, courage and goodwill." Herzog’s remarks followed the committee’s presentation of the findings to the president, who will begin consultations in the evening to identify a suitable candidate for Knesset head‑count.
During the announcement, Sohlberg clarified that the election results were credible despite an ongoing investigation into possible foreign interference. He stated that allegations of interference remained unproven and did not warrant delaying the announcement. "In recent days, voices have emerged seeking to cast doubt on the election results and challenge their validity. This is a real danger," Sohlberg said, emphasizing that the election had been conducted properly and the outcome reflected voters’ will.
With the results now validated, Israeli political leaders face the task of forming a coalition that bridges ideological divides. The President’s role is to invite representatives from the political spectrum to propose candidates capable of securing the confidence of the Knesset and steering the nation toward policy continuity while maintaining democratic integrity.
