In brief
Israel’s Central Elections Committee released official results, showing the opposition winning 67 of 120 seats against Netanyahu’s 53. Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party won 48 seats and Arab parties captured 19. President Isaac Herzog will now consult parties to form a government amid calls for compromise and an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign interference.
In a live update from Jerusalem, Israel’s Central Elections Committee announced on Wednesday that the opposition won a majority in the 120‑member Knesset, securing 67 seats while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc managed 53.
It is the first time since the 2021 elections that the opposition has edged out Netanyahu’s coalition without the need for a third‑party alliance.
Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, made up of former military figures, pulled 48 seats, while Arab‑led parties—the Joint List coalition of three parties and the Muslim Ra’am party—together captured 19 seats. No single bloc hit the 61 seats required for a majority government, leaving President Isaac Herzog, by law, to begin consultations with all parties to decide who will form the next cabinet.
"In the current reality, in which there is no clear winner after the election, I ask for originality and creativity, courage and goodwill," Herzog told reporters on Wednesday evening.
The announcement came amid talks that a new election could be avoided if parties compromise on campaign promises. President Herzog urged lawmakers to pursue a stable government through creative dialogue.
Chairman Noam Sohlberg of the committee dismissed claims of foreign interference as unproven, stating that "the election had been conducted properly and the results reflected the will of voters." The investigation into the allegations is ongoing, but Sohlberg said it did not warrant a delay in the official result release.
With no clear majority, the new political landscape will rely on post‑election negotiations. The President is expected to start formal talks with opposition leaders such as Yeshayahu (Yashar) and the Joint List commanders later Wednesday evening, after which they will be tasked with forming a coalition that satisfies the 61‑seat threshold.
