Netanyahu bloc trails as opposition and Arab parties projected to win 66 seats in Israeli elections
Partial results show Netanyahu's coalition falling short of parliamentary majority, as opposition leader Yair Golan calls for cooperation with Arab parties to form new government
WASHINGTON (MNTV) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc is projected to secure 54 seats in the 120-member Knesset, falling seven seats short of a governing majority, as vote counting continues following Tuesday’s parliamentary elections.
With 72.4% of ballots counted, Israeli media projections indicate that the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot could win 48 seats, while predominantly Arab parties are expected to secure another 18.
The Arab Joint List is projected to take 12 seats, while Ra’am is expected to win six.
Although neither major bloc is currently on course to secure the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority, the combined strength of the opposition and Arab parties could provide a path to forming a government without Netanyahu.
Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s main left-wing party, has urged opposition leaders to cooperate with Arab parties to remove Netanyahu from power.
“We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes,” Golan wrote on X.
“We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens,” he added.
His remarks came as preliminary results highlighted the potentially decisive role of Arab lawmakers in determining Israel’s next government.
Earlier projections reported by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, when 37.4% of votes had been counted, had placed Netanyahu’s bloc at 57 seats, Eisenkot’s opposition alliance at 47 and Arab parties at 16.
Those figures also showed Netanyahu’s Likud emerging as the largest individual party with 28 seats, followed by Eisenkot’s Yashar with 21.
The updated projections suggest Netanyahu’s bloc has lost ground as counting has progressed, while the combined opposition and Arab representation has increased.
The results remain provisional, and the final distribution of seats could change as additional ballots are counted.
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