Netanyahu Holds Power as Israel Faces Hung Parliament After Final Tally

Isrealis wake to the reality of a split government. The final count of roughly 500,000 absentee ballots from soldiers, diplomats, and prisoners confirmed a hung parliament. Binyamin Netanyahu remains the prime minister, but he lacks the 61 seats needed to rule alone in the 120-member Knesset. His bloc holds 53 seats. The opposition and Arab-led parties together hold 68.

The path forward requires unlikely alliances. Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who led the opposition, must decide whether to partner with Arab parties. These groups won strong support after many Arab citizens voted in large numbers despite historical hesitance. Eisenkot spoke of a government that serves all people. He has said he is open to working with them to reach a majority, though he did not name specific partners in his first public statement since Wednesday.

The Joint List, one of the Arab-led parties, called the results a show of strength. They are open to political cooperation. This would be historic. No Arab party has joined a coalition government since a brief stint in 2021. Small rallies in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem supported such a coalition overnight.

Netanyahu’s Likud party, despite winning the most votes, claims the election was stolen. They asked the election committee to investigate. They cited no specific evidence. The committee said the number of irregularities in the relatively calm election was low.

President Yitzhak Hertzog will assign the task of forming the next government next week. He signaled on Wednesday that he wants to avoid a new election. Eisenkot agrees. If no government forms after multiple attempts, Israel will vote again early next year. That would raise questions about whether Arab citizens and tens of thousands of Israelis who flew home to vote would return to the polls.

The stakes extend beyond party lines. The country is divided on whether the fast-growing ultra-Orthodox population should remain exempt from military service. Many families have lost children in three years of inconclusive wars. Netanyahu faces corruption allegations and accusations that he delayed deals over the Gaza war for political gain.

International criticism over the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and violence by settlers in the West Bank also weighs on the country’s standing. For Arab citizens, who make up 20 percent of the population, there is cautious hope. Brosli Elias, a resident of Nazareth, said he hopes for representation that brings rights to his community.

Uncertainty looms over the military front. The Trump administration has discussed new strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections. Experts say Netanyahu could use the threat of a renewed all-out war to push for a unity government with him in charge. That strategy could delay a public inquiry into the security failures behind the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.