Israel’s parliamentary election on Tuesday delivered no decisive outcome, with nearly 90 % of votes counted and both major blocs falling short of the 61‑seat threshold required to form a government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing bloc is projected to secure 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is expected to obtain 48 seats. Arab‑majority parties captured 19 seats—a historic high—fueled by a record 80 % turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel, positioning them as pivotal players in any future coalition despite many leaders’ refusal to work with them.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Likud
Pre‑election stance: Netanyahu voiced confidence, telling The Jerusalem Post on Oct. 22, “I’m going to serve five more terms.” In a later broadcast on Channel 14, he warned that an opposition victory would lead to “granting citizenship to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians,” which he framed as the “end of the Jewish state.”
On election day: He described a coalition with Arab‑led parties as “a shame and a disgrace.” “It is forbidden – simply forbidden – to endanger Israel and to establish a government that relies on anti‑Zionist Arab parties,” he told supporters.
Post‑election statements: After the vote, Netanyahu’s Likud party criticized Palestinian citizens who had participated. In a statement released by Netanyahu, the party alleged that “the elections were stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the elimination of the Jewish state through serious criminal offences.” The Times of Israel reported that both police and the Central Elections Committee have dismissed those accusations.
Result: Likud is positioned to win 26 seats, the largest single party, capturing 20.65 % of the vote. However, the bloc totals 53 seats, eight short of the required majority.
Gadi Eisenkot, Yashar Party
Pre‑election stance: In a September interview with The Jerusalem Post, Eisenkot rejected the need for a coalition with Arab parties, stating, “I believe the majority we will receive will be far larger than current polls indicate,” and adding, “I do not see an Arab party that accepts my principles.” He also expressed confidence that he could defeat Netanyahu.
On election day: Eisenkot urged Israelis to remove “the worst government Israel has known.” He noted the election’s significance, saying, “We are on perhaps the most critical day since the founding of the state.”
Post‑election statements: On Wednesday, Eisenkot told supporters that the public “voted against” Netanyahu and vowed “to ensure that the people’s decision is translated into a Zionist government.”
Result: Yashar is projected to win 21 seats (16.16 %). His bloc totals 48 seats, leaving a 13‑seat deficit to reach the 61‑seat majority, and any governing coalition would require Arab‑led parties.
Naftali Bennett, Together Party
Pre‑election stance: In February, months ahead of the vote, Bennett told a closed gathering of activists that while he upheld his 2021 decision to govern with Ra’am, he would not repeat that arrangement. “We will form a unity government under my leadership… we are going to win and we are going to form it,” he declared, according to Israel National News.
On election day: Addressing supporters in Tel Aviv, Bennett said, “Netanyahu has lost, and the October 7 government is going home.”
Post‑election remarks: In an X post, Bennett urged Israelis to “lift your heads” and pledged to “do everything to establish a Zionist Alliance of Servants government.”
Result: Together is projected to win 12 seats (9.07 %), placing it just behind the Joint List.
Itamar Ben‑Gvir, Otzma Yehudit
Pre‑election rhetoric: Ben‑Gvir’s campaign featured stark statements. In August he declared that Palestinians in Gaza “are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people,” and called for Israel to kill “30 to 40” people in Gaza each night.
On election day: Speaking to supporters at the entrance to the Arab city of Kafr Qasim, he urged, “If you want this country to stay Jewish and Zionist, if you don’t want it to be in the hands of Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi, go out and vote.”
Result: Otzma Yehudit is positioned to win seven seats (5.58 %), falling well short of the 15 seats the party’s leader had targeted.
Bezalel Smotrich, Religious Zionism‑Zehut
Pre‑election platform: Smotrich pledged in an August statement to expand his settlement “revolution,” outlining a program to “Judaize the Negev and the Galilee” at the expense of Palestinians.
On election day: He posted on Facebook warning of high turnout among Palestinian citizens, arguing that a lack of right‑wing mobilization could allow “terror supporters” into government. That evening, he told supporters, “Jewish settlements will be established in Gaza.”
Result: Religious Zionism is projected to win six seats (4.78 %).
Yousef Jabareen, Joint List
Pre‑election remarks: Jabareen said in August that “only a large and strong Joint List will work with all its might to send the Netanyahu/Ben‑Gvir/Smotrich government home,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
Election day (evening): In a video statement, he declared that Netanyahu knew “we can put an end to his bloody reign.”
Post‑election commentary: On X, Jabareen wrote that his party was prepared for the “ousting of the Netanyahu government,” which he described as a government of “bloodshed.” He added, “Against a politics of supremacy, racism, and exclusion, we offer a completely different alternative. The change comes through Jewish‑Arab partnership, a true and equal partnership.”
Result: The Joint List is projected to win 12 seats (9.14 %), ranking third in vote share.
Mansour Abbas, Ra’am
Pre‑election target: In July, Abbas set a goal for Ra’am to win at least seven seats, arguing that this would position the party as a kingmaker in a “government of change.”
On election day: Responding to Netanyahu’s remarks about Palestinian citizens, Abbas released a video accusing Netanyahu of “lying and inciting against Ra’am, using it as a scare tactic to mobilise right‑wing voters and drive them to the polls.”
Result: Ra’am is projected to win eight seats (6.09 %), exceeding Abbas’s target.
Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beiteinu
Pre‑election claim: On Oct. 15, Lieberman asserted, “We will reach 61 seats or more for the change bloc.”
On election day: He called for patience, telling supporters on Friday that “we’ll be able to talk about a much better and more optimistic picture.”
Result: Yisrael Beiteinu is projected to win seven seats (5.93 %).
Yair Lapid, Together
Pre‑election remark: In September, Lapid posted a statement: “Netanyahu ignored every warning before October 7, and now, 28 days before the election, he’s suddenly busy fear‑mongering.”
On election day: He declared victory, saying, “The Netanyahu bloc has suffered a crushing defeat.”
Result: Together, co‑led by Lapid and Bennett, is projected to win 12 seats (9.07 %).
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