Netanyahu’s Bloc Leads Israeli Election, But No Clear Majority Yet

On October 27, 2026, Israelis voted in their first general election since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The election is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightward policies.

After counting about half of the votes, Netanyahu’s political group was leading but did not have enough seats for a majority in the parliament. His bloc secured 55 out of 120 seats, while rival Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition group had 49 seats, and Arab parties captured 16 seats.

Voter turnout was the highest in decades, reflecting public interest in the election. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot expressed intentions to form a government, even though neither is projected to have a majority. Eisenkot, a newcomer to politics and a former military chief, had been neck-and-neck with Netanyahu’s camp in exit polls.

Arab Israeli parties made significant gains, with their voters coming out in large numbers against Netanyahu. While Eisenkot’s bloc could potentially form a majority with Arab support, he has stated he would not partner with Arab lawmakers, similar to Netanyahu’s stance.

The election results may lead to weeks of coalition talks, and if no agreement is reached, new elections could be on the horizon. Netanyahu would remain in his role as caretaker prime minister during this period.

As results continue to come in, full election results are expected by Thursday evening or Friday morning. Eisenkot has called for swift government formation, emphasizing that the public voted for change.