Israel Votes, No Winner: Both Blocs Short of 61

Описание: Israel counted most of its votes — and still has no winner. Here is what happened in the October 27, 2026 Knesset election, step by step, and why neither side can govern yet.

THE COUNT SO FAR (Central Elections Committee, PARTIAL — 84.5% counted, Oct 28):
• Netanyahu's bloc — 54 seats
• Eisenkot's bloc — 49 seats
• Arab-led parties — 17 seats
• A government needs 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats. Nobody has them.
• Likud is the largest party on 27 seats; Yashar is second on 22.

TURNOUT: 77.7% — the highest since 1999, about 7 points higher than 2022. 5,695,682 ballots cast of 7,331,981 eligible voters. This was Israel's first national election since the October 7, 2023 attack.

WHY: The vote was widely seen as a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the October 7 attack and the wars that followed. Support split across many parties, so neither bloc reached 61.

THE CLAIMS, ATTRIBUTED: Netanyahu called for "a strong, right-wing national government." Gadi Eisenkot said the public had voted for change and called Netanyahu "a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people's trust."

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: About 600,000 special (double-envelope) ballots are still being counted. Official results are due November 4. President Isaac Herzog will then ask one Knesset member to try to build a 61-seat coalition. If nobody can, another election is possible. Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new government forms.

All figures are partial and can shift as counting finishes.

Facts only, checked against official and wire reporting. Contested claims are attributed to the side making them.

Sources: Central Elections Committee (CEC) partial count via Times of Israel / Ynet; Reuters; Associated Press.

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