JERUSALEM | October 29, 2026 | Israel’s election has left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political opponents short of a parliamentary majority, setting the stage for difficult coalition negotiations as allegations of foreign interference add to political tensions, according to reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.
Preliminary projections put Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc at 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament, while the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot was projected to win 48 seats. Arab-led parties were projected to secure 19 seats. A government needs the support of at least 61 lawmakers to command a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu is expected to remain caretaker prime minister while political parties negotiate possible alliances. Eisenkot’s bloc faces a difficult path to power without cooperation from Arab-led parties, an option that remains politically contentious among Jewish political leaders. If negotiations fail, the country could face another election.
The vote has also been overshadowed by allegations of foreign interference. The head of Israel’s Central Elections Committee asked the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service to investigate possible funding by foreign entities. The request did not establish that interference had occurred. Likud separately alleged that Arab-led parties had stolen the election, but no specific evidence was publicly presented to substantiate the claim, according to the Associated Press.
The strong showing by Arab-led parties could prove decisive in coalition negotiations. Arab citizens make up about one-fifth of Israel’s population, and their political representation has long been shaped by discrimination concerns and disagreements over their role in national government. In 2021, an Arab party joined an Israeli governing coalition for the first time, although the arrangement lasted only briefly.
The election comes after years of political and security divisions, including disputes over exemptions from compulsory military service for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, Netanyahu’s corruption cases and criticism of his government’s handling of the war in Gaza. The Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war have continued to shape debate over national security and government accountability.
Israel’s final results are expected to be certified by November 4, with the new parliament scheduled to convene on November 10. President Isaac Herzog will consult political parties before selecting the candidate most likely to form a government. The outcome of the coalition talks will determine whether Israel can establish a stable administration or faces another election, prolonging uncertainty over its political leadership and policy direction.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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