Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his coalition’s parliamentary majority following the October 27 legislative elections.
But a bloc of Jewish parties opposed to Netanyahu also failed to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving Israel without a clear path to a new government.
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What lies ahead are likely weeks of political wrangling as Israel’s disparate factions weigh possible governing arrangements, including a unity government bringing together rival factions or a minority government dependent on outside support. If they fail to reach an agreement, Israel could return to the polls.
Here’s what you need to know:
What are the final results of the Israeli elections?
The pro-Netanyahu coalition won 53 seats:
- Likud – 27
- Unified Torah Judaism – 7
- Otzma Yehudit – 7
- Shas – 6
- Religious Zionism – 6
A bloc of Jewish parties opposed to Netanyahu won 48 seats:
- Yashar – 21 years old
- B’Yachad – 12
- Democrats – 8
- Israel Beytenu – 7
Arab parties won 19 seats:
- Common list – 11
- Raam – 8
That leaves all existing blocs short of the 61 seats needed to secure a majority in the Knesset, meaning some parties would have to realign or join forces across bloc lines to form a new government.
What happens next?
Israeli election results must be officially certified and presented to President Isaac Herzog before November 4.
The new Knesset is expected to be sworn in on November 10.
Herzog must task new Knesset member with forming new government by November 11. He should make his decision with input from party leaders, selecting the candidate he believes has the best chance of building a coalition.
The candidate mandated by Herzog 28 days form a coalition, with possible extension 14 days.
Who will Herzog appoint first to form a government?
He hasn’t said it yet, but the most likely candidates are Netanyahu or former Israeli military leader Gadi Eisenkot, whose Yashar party received the most votes in the opposition bloc.
According to Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, Eisenkot may have an advantage over Netanyahu as some Arab-led parties plan to support him in their bid to oust Netanyahu.
Herzog, for his part, urged Israeli politicians to move away from rigid partisan positions and seek “creative solutions” that will lead to a new government and avoid a runoff election.
Ahead of the election, Herzog said he would do everything in his power to spare the country from another election cycle, even if that means pushing for a national unity government bringing together rivals Netanyahu and Eisenkot.
Could the opposition bloc join forces with Arab-led parties?
It’s not clear.
Eisenkot and other opposition leaders have previously ruled out any partnership with Arab-led parties.
Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, however, said he thought they “could change their minds,” arguing that Netanyahu would do in their position.
“If Netanyahu had a similar problem, he would immediately invite Mansour Abbas,” the leader of Raam and “give him the role of interior minister,” Barak told France 24 on Friday.
Abbas himself expressed his willingness to work with the opposition camp, saying that Eisenkot’s conditions would not pose an obstacle for his party, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
The Joint List’s Yousef Jabareen also said his party was ready to “overthrow the Netanyahu government.”
“Change requires a Jewish-Arab partnership, a true and egalitarian partnership,” he wrote on X.
Even if Arab parties do not officially join the opposition coalition, they could support it from the outside by helping it pass a vote of confidence in the Knesset.
Raluca Ganea, co-founder of the Israeli civil society group Zazim, told Al Jazeera that a coalition between the opposition bloc and Arab-led parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel “is the only way forward for Israeli democracy as a whole.”
What happens if no one manages to form a government?
If Herzog’s first nominee fails to form a government within 42 days, the Israeli president has the option of asking another Knesset member to try to do so within 28 days. If that candidate also fails, a majority of Knesset members could propose a third candidate, who would have a final 14 days to try to assemble one.
Even without a coalition of at least 61 seats, a candidate could still attempt to form a minority government by relying on outside support from smaller parties, including Arab-led parties, or by negotiating a power-sharing deal with alternating prime ministers.
If none of these options succeed and the impasse persists, the Knesset would be formally dissolved and Israelis would return to the polls for a new round of elections.
These elections should be called within 90 days.
Who orders while waiting?
Netanyahu remains interim prime minister until a new government is formed.
If the process drags on, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister could remain in power for months more, even if he ultimately fails to make it into the next governing coalition.
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