Israel's 2026 Election Leaves Hung Parliament as Netanyahu Bloc Takes 53 Seats

Israel’s 2026 parliamentary election produced a hung parliament, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc winning 53 seats and Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc taking 48 in the 120-seat Knesset.

Arab parties together secured 19 seats. Turnout reached nearly 78 percent, the highest since 1999. Neither major bloc reached the 61 seats required for a majority. Final counting of regular ballots gave Netanyahu’s hard-right camp 53 and Eisenkot’s Change bloc 48, with the Arab lists holding the balance. Around 650,000 double-envelope ballots from soldiers, diplomats, and others remained to be counted and could still shift a few seats.

Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff entering politics, said the public had voted for change and that a worthy leader would accept the result. He pledged to work swiftly to form a government and called a second election a mistake. Netanyahu also stated he would form a government. Exit polls on election night had shown the two blocs roughly even at around 51 seats each before the final tally.

Arab Israeli parties recorded their strongest showing in years. Some communities reported near-universal turnout driven by opposition to rhetoric from Netanyahu’s far-right allies. Without support from at least some of the Arab lists, neither of the two main blocs can assemble a governing coalition. Three scenarios are under discussion: a Netanyahu government that includes Arab parties, an Eisenkot-led government that does the same, or prolonged negotiations that end in another election.

The vote was the first national election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack. Netanyahu has been Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and has shifted policy sharply rightward while conducting multiple military operations. Eisenkot’s campaign focused on change after that period. The high turnout indicates strong engagement on both sides and among Arab citizens who felt targeted by campaign language.

Coalition arithmetic now centres on the 19 Arab seats. Historically, mainstream Jewish parties have been reluctant to rely on Arab lists for a majority, though previous governments have done so. The precise distribution after double-envelope counting will determine whether one side edges closer to 61 or whether the deadlock remains. Negotiations are expected to begin immediately.

For now, the confirmed seat totals from the main count are 53 for the Netanyahu bloc, 48 for Eisenkot’s bloc, and 19 for the Arab parties. The remaining ballots and the willingness of party leaders to cross traditional lines will decide who receives the mandate to form the next government.