Preliminary results from Israel’s general election on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, indicate that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his primary challengers have secured a clear path to a parliamentary majority. With a significant portion of votes counted as of Wednesday, Oct. 28, Netanyahu’s Likud party held 20.8% of the vote, while the Yashar party, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, followed with approximately 16%.
The election took place amid domestic debate over military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish citizens and the government’s handling of the conflict following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Voter turnout reached nearly 78%, the highest since 1999. President Isaac Herzog, who is tasked with choosing a candidate to form the government, urged all parties to avoid another round of elections, following five similar stalemates between 2019 and 2022.
The official count by the Central Elections Committee has not yet determined the exact seat distribution for the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament. However, projections suggest both Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition are short of the 61-seat majority required. Arab-led parties received 14.9% of the vote. Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, stated his party is not on the sidelines, though Netanyahu has dismissed the idea of partnering with Arab parties as treasonous.
The lack of a decisive result means weeks of political negotiations. If a 61-seat majority cannot be reached, the country faces a new election in early 2027. For many Israelis, this political deadlock extends uncertainty regarding the resolution of the war in Gaza, the return of hostages, and the judicial reforms that have led to protests. The scale of the impasse is reflected in the decline of Likud’s vote share from 23.4% in 2022 to 20.8% in this cycle.
In the immediate term, the counting of hundreds of thousands of absentee ballots from military personnel and diplomats will finalize the vote totals. Once these results are certified in the coming days, President Herzog will consult with party leaders before naming a candidate to attempt to form a government. That candidate will then have a legally defined period to attempt to secure a majority. If no leader succeeds, the parliament will dissolve, triggering a new election.