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Israel Election Results: Netanyahu Takes Lead but Falls Short of Parliamentary Majority
Jerusalem, Oct 29(Agency) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved ahead as votes were counted in Wednesday’s election updates, but the absence of a clear parliamentary majority has left his prospects of securing another term dependent on coalition-building with rival political groups.
With voter turnout reaching a record high in Tuesday’s election and nearly 86 per cent of the votes counted, Israel’s three major television broadcasters projected that Netanyahu’s bloc of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties would secure 53 seats in the Knesset.
The opposition bloc led by Netanyahu’s rival, Gadi Eisenkot, was projected to win 48 seats, according to the broadcasters’ estimates. Parties representing Arab citizens of Israel were projected to secure 19 seats.
However, neither of the two main blocs was on course to reach the 61 seats required for a majority in Israel’s 120-member parliament, raising the possibility of complex negotiations to form the next government.
Aviv Bushinsky, a former adviser to Netanyahu, described the prime minister’s political comeback as a “resurrection.”
“Maybe it’s hard to say it or to see it, but he’s the winner,” Bushinsky said.
He observed that the election presented a political paradox: although Netanyahu’s bloc had failed to secure a parliamentary majority, his leading position in the results could strengthen his standing in Israeli politics.
With the final outcome still dependent on the remaining votes and subsequent coalition negotiations, the composition of Israel’s next government remained uncertain.
