Deadlock in Jerusalem: Netanyahu's Bloc Falls Short, Arab Parties Surge — and America's Closest Mideast Ally Faces Weeks of Uncertainty
Final results give Netanyahu's camp 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's opposition 48 and Arab-led parties a record 19 in the 120-seat Knesset. Nobody has 61. Here is what that means for Israel, for Iran policy and for Washington.
By Clara Hughes
Final results give Netanyahu's camp 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's opposition 48 and Arab-led parties a record 19 in the 120-seat Knesset. Nobody has 61. Here is what that means for Israel, for Iran policy and for Washington. Israel has voted, the count is complete, and nobody has won. Final results released early Friday show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc won 53 seats in Tuesday's election, the main opposition bloc 48, and Arab-led parties the other 19 — a historic showing, the Associated Press reported. Forming a government takes at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, remains in charge, AP noted. His bloc's 53 seats are down from 64 in the 2022 election, according to CNBC, citing the Central Elections Committee. Turnout was high, at 77.9 percent, Al Jazeera reported, after at least 500,000 "double envelope" ballots from soldiers and diplomats were counted Thursday. For