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Israeli political deadlock following 2026 elections

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2026-11-03 16:58 UTC → 2026-11-09 21:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the October 27, 2026, legislative elections, Israel faces a period of political stalemate. Despite a high voter turnout of 77.7%, the election results have produced a divided Knesset with no clear winner. Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing religious bloc secured 53 to 54 seats, remaining short of the 61 seats required for a majority. His main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, faces a similar challenge in forming a coalition. Netanyahu has called for the formation of a broad national government under his leadership, but he has explicitly excluded Arab political lists from his coalition plans. He accused these parties of supporting terrorism and rejecting the existence of the Jewish state, asserting that the Israeli public does not want a government dependent on the Raam and Joint List Arab political alliances. He expressed openness to dialogue with any party that does not support terrorism. Arab parties, specifically the United List and the Raam party, collectively secured a record 19 seats. Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, described the current impasse as a “historic opportunity” to change the country’s course and urged the opposition to cooperate with Arab parties to remove Netanyahu from power. Arab leaders have expressed readiness to support an opposition government from the outside to facilitate this goal, provided it addresses issues such as combating crime in Arab communities. In response, opposition leaders, including Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Lieberman, have indicated they may recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog to form the next government. While Golan is open to cooperating with Arab parties, Lieberman remains strictly opposed. While Likud has challenged the legitimacy of the results, alleging “widespread fraud and misconduct within Arab communities,” Shin Bet head David Zini stated that the elections proceeded correctly.

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