Israel’s 2026 election leaves Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot short of a majority as Arab-led parties gain crucial parliamentary influence.
Israel Election 2026: Netanyahu and Rivals Face Coalition Deadlock
Israel’s 2026 parliamentary election has left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political opponents without a clear path to forming a government, as competing campaign promises and sharp disagreements over Arab-led parties shape the post-election debate. With nearly 90 percent of ballots counted in the latest figures reported on October 29, Netanyahu’s political bloc was projected to win 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot was expected to secure 48 in the 120-member Knesset.
The results have placed Arab-majority political parties in a potentially decisive position. Their combined total of 19 seats represents a historic high, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting, while neither of the two principal blocs has reached the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. The outcome has raised questions about whether rival political groups can find enough common ground to establish a functioning coalition.
Netanyahu’s confidence meets a difficult parliamentary arithmetic
Netanyahu’s Likud party remained the largest individual party in the projected results, with approximately 26 seats. However, the wider bloc supporting the prime minister was expected to fall eight seats short of a majority.
During the campaign, Netanyahu expressed confidence that he would remain in power and warned voters against an opposition government that relied on Arab-led parties. Following the vote, a statement shared by the prime minister’s party alleged that Arab parties had undermined the election. According to Al Jazeera, police and the Central Elections Committee had dismissed the allegations referenced in the report.
The figures illustrate the difference between winning the largest number of seats as an individual party and securing enough parliamentary support to govern. Even with Likud in the leading position, Netanyahu still faces the challenge of assembling a coalition capable of commanding a majority.
Eisenkot’s opposition bloc falls short of its target
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, campaigned on replacing Netanyahu’s government. He argued that the election offered an opportunity for political change and urged voters to turn out in large numbers.
Yashar was projected to win approximately 21 seats, representing 16.16 percent of the vote. Nevertheless, the wider opposition bloc was expected to obtain 48 seats, leaving it 13 short of the majority threshold.
After the election, Eisenkot said the public had voted against Netanyahu and pledged to work towards forming a government. Yet the numbers suggest that his bloc would need support beyond its existing partners to reach the required 61 seats.
The difficulty is that cooperation with Arab-led parties remains politically contentious, including among leaders who want Netanyahu removed from office.
Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid seek political change
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett also entered the election promising to replace Netanyahu’s government. Bennett, whose Together party was projected to win 12 seats, said after voting that Netanyahu’s government should leave office.
Bennett has previously supported cooperation with the Arab-led Ra’am party, although he indicated during the campaign that he would not repeat that arrangement in the same way. His post-election challenge is to translate his party’s representation into a workable governing partnership.
Yair Lapid, who co-leads the Together alliance with Bennett, also criticised Netanyahu during the campaign. The alliance’s projected 12 seats placed it behind the Joint List in vote share, according to the figures published by Al Jazeera.
Although both leaders presented themselves as alternatives to the incumbent government, their ability to influence the next administration will depend on coalition negotiations and agreements with other parliamentary groups.
Far-right parties fall short of campaign ambitions
The results also presented setbacks for some of Netanyahu’s right-wing allies.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party and Israel’s national security minister, had sought a substantially larger parliamentary presence. His party was projected to win seven seats, equivalent to 5.58 percent of the vote—less than half the 15 seats he had hoped to secure.
Ben-Gvir’s campaign included inflammatory remarks about Palestinians in Gaza and appeals to voters concerned about Israel’s political identity. His rhetoric drew attention to the divisions surrounding Palestinian rights and the role of far-right parties in the country’s political system.
Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party was projected to win six seats, or 4.78 percent of the vote. During the campaign, Smotrich advocated expanding Israeli settlements and made a statement supporting the establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.
The projected results suggest that both politicians will have less parliamentary influence than their campaign ambitions indicated. However, their eventual role in coalition negotiations will depend on the agreements reached among parties seeking to form a government.
Arab-led parties gain greater influence
Arab-majority parties emerged as a significant factor in the election, with a combined projected total of 19 seats. Turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel was reported at approximately 80 percent, helping produce the historic result.
The Joint List, represented in the campaign by figures including Yousef Jabareen, was projected to win 12 seats. Its campaign emphasised political change through cooperation between Jewish and Arab citizens and opposition to Netanyahu’s government.
Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, was projected to secure eight seats, exceeding its stated target of seven. Abbas criticised Netanyahu’s statements about Arab voters, accusing him of using fear to encourage right-wing supporters to vote. These remarks reflected the broader dispute over the legitimacy and political influence of Arab-led parties.
Despite their increased representation, Arab-led parties face obstacles in coalition negotiations. Netanyahu has publicly rejected relying on these parties to form a government, while some opposition figures have also expressed reservations about the terms on which cooperation could take place.
Their influence will therefore depend not only on the number of seats they hold but also on whether other political leaders are willing to negotiate with them.
Other parties add to the coalition challenge
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, had predicted that the opposition-aligned change bloc could reach 61 seats or more. His party was projected to win seven seats, or 5.93 percent of the vote.
The results underline how difficult it may be for either major political camp to meet that target without additional support.
The Knesset’s 120 seats are distributed among multiple parties, making coalition-building a central feature of Israeli parliamentary politics. A party can lead the national vote or emerge as the largest individual group without having enough support to govern independently.
In this election, the gap between campaign expectations and projected seat totals has made negotiations particularly important. Public disagreements over cooperation with Arab-led parties further complicate the search for a majority.
What happens next in Israel’s political crisis?
The immediate challenge is to determine which political leader can assemble a coalition with sufficient parliamentary support. Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to hold 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s opposition bloc was expected to win 48. Arab-led parties, with 19 seats combined, could play a decisive role in determining which arrangements are possible.
However, the projected figures are based on the vote count reported on October 29 and should not be treated as final certified results. The eventual political outcome will depend on the completed count, negotiations among party leaders and the ability of a prospective government to secure parliamentary backing.
The election has demonstrated that strong campaign rhetoric and leading individual-party results do not necessarily translate into a governing majority. Until a coalition is established, Israel’s political leadership remains uncertain.
Editorial source note: This report is based on election figures and candidate statements reported by Al Jazeera on October 29, 2026. Seat totals are identified as projections where applicable and may change as official counting and certification proceed.
Published: October 29, 2026 | Category: Middle East | By UsaReporters Staff
