Israel Completes Vote Count: Neither Bloc Reaches the 61-Seat Majority

Counting in Israel's election is complete, with more than 99 percent of Tuesday's ballots tallied, Al Jazeera reported on Thursday, October 29, 2026 (7 Aban 1405). According to Haaretz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot 48, and the Arab list parties a combined 19; neither main bloc has the 61 seats needed for a majority. Results can still change until the Central Elections Committee certifies and announces them, expected by Wednesday, November 4 (13 Aban). Donya-e-Eqtesad carried the same figures.

Eisenkot met Naftali Bennett and Yair Golan, and Golan met Mansour Abbas, who leads the United Arab List (Ra'am). Eisenkot has pledged not to ally with the Arab parties, yet his bloc cannot form a government without their support. Likud continues to allege, without published evidence, that the Arab parties "stole" the election; the head of the Central Elections Committee said he could not verify claims of foreign interference and asked the Shin Bet to look into them.