Israeli opposition leader says Netanyahu cannot secure governing majority after Israeli election
Final tally leaves Netanyahu's camp with 53 seats, while opposition and Arab parties together hold 67 in 120-seat Knesset
JERUSALEM (MNTV) – Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to assemble a governing coalition after this week’s parliamentary elections, as political parties began exploring possible alliances to break the electoral deadlock.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the counting process concluded Thursday evening, leaving Netanyahu’s political camp with 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset. The opposition Change bloc won 48 seats, while Arab parties secured the remaining 19.
The results leave both principal political camps short of the 61 seats required to command a parliamentary majority.
Official results are due to be published Nov. 4 after the completion of verification procedures.
Reacting to the outcome, Lapid argued that Netanyahu had exhausted his options for securing enough parliamentary support to remain in power.
The opposition leader also pointed to the decline in Netanyahu’s parliamentary strength, noting that his bloc had held 68 seats in the outgoing Knesset.
Lapid described the 77.7% turnout as particularly significant, saying participation had reached its highest level since 1999.
He characterized the opposition’s electoral performance as a narrow victory rather than an outright triumph.
However, he cautioned that the opposition faced a difficult task in translating its electoral gains into a functioning government.
Lapid said coalition-building would require prolonged negotiations behind closed doors, contrasting the process with the highly visible campaigning that precedes elections. He acknowledged that the outcome remained uncertain and called on opposition supporters to exercise patience.
Political negotiations intensify as parties seek alliances
Meanwhile, Netanyahu held talks Thursday with Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, over efforts to retain a right-wing government, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The party said the discussions focused on blocking the formation of a government that it characterized as left-wing and dependent on Arab political parties.
On the opposition side, Democrats leader Yair Golan called for renewed discussions within the Change bloc over the possibility of working with Arab parties to establish an alternative administration.
Golan met Mansour Abbas, head of the United Arab List (Ra’am), on Thursday as part of efforts to advance negotiations on a potential coalition.
Golan has previously advocated bringing Ra’am into a future governing arrangement. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, has taken the opposite position, rejecting a government that relies on Arab parties.
The parliamentary arithmetic suggests that cooperation between the Change bloc and Arab parties could provide a route to government formation.
Their combined 67 seats would exceed the 61-seat threshold required for a majority in the Knesset.
Nevertheless, the two groups remain separate political formations, and opposition leaders have yet to resolve their differences over cooperation with Arab parties.
These divisions could complicate efforts to establish a government that excludes Netanyahu.
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