Netanyahu bloc wins 53 Knesset seats — Jerusalem Post

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats in the Knesset following the final vote count in the election. The opposition bloc won 48 seats, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Central Elections Committee.

Neither bloc reached the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Arab parties collectively won a record 19 seats. The final count, announced on Thursday, included ballots in double envelopes, which were counted last.

Distribution of seats among parties

Netanyahu’s Likud party is expected to hold 27 seats and remain the largest faction in the Knesset. United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit are expected to receive seven seats each, while the Religious Zionism party and Shas are expected to receive six each.

The opposition bloc includes Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad, Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yair Golan’s Democrats. Yashar is projected to win 21 seats, Beyachad 12, the Democrats eight, and Yisrael Beiteinu seven. The joint list of Arab parties is expected to hold 11 seats, while Ra’am is expected to have eight.

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Negotiations and review of suspicions

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on political leaders to approach coalition negotiations openly in order to avoid new elections. Under the law, the president must hold consultations with parliamentary factions before tasking someone with forming a government.

At the same time, Shin Bet is investigating suspicions of possible foreign funding that may have influenced voter turnout in the Arab sector. The chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Noam Sohlberg, instructed Shin Bet Director David Zini to examine suspicions of foreign funding and election interference. At the same time, the committee stated that the integrity of voting at polling stations had been preserved.

Lieberman reiterated that he would not join a coalition either with Arab parties or with Netanyahu. Golan, by contrast, called on the opposition to form a government with the participation of Arab parties. Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas welcomed the decision to investigate and said his party was not involved in possible foreign funding.