Israel: Pro-Netanyahu bloc leads with 53 seats as 90% votes counted

Jerusalem: As counting progresses in Israel, partial returns from general election published by the Central Elections Committee (CEC) and detailed by The Times of Israel show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leading with 53 seats and the opposing bloc securing 48 seats.

The results so far, indicating no clear majority for either bloc, are based on 90 per cent of votes counted across 97.5 per cent of the ballot boxes.

While pro-Netanyahu parties control 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, his opponents hold 67. However, that opposing faction remains divided between Jewish-led parties commanding 48 seats and Arab-led parties holding 19, with the majority of Jewish-led factions expressing unwillingness to form partnerships with Arab-led groups.

The updated tallies also shed light on several political factions currently tracking beneath the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold. Parties hovering below the cutoff include the Reservists at 2.6 per cent, the People of Israel at 1.6 per cent, and the Charedi Public faction at 0.2 per cent.

Electoral authorities have emphasised that these returns are strictly partial and will continue to evolve as the count advances. According to The Times of Israel, votes cast in double envelopes, which notably include the ballots of active-duty soldiers, are traditionally processed in the later stages of tabulation, leaving the final parliamentary breakdown subject to change.

Results indicate vote of no confidence in Netanyahu: Eisenkot

Reflecting on these unfolding numbers, Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, the leading opposition candidate, stated that the election results constitute a clear vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, pledging to press ahead with efforts to oust the government even though his political bloc remains well short of a parliamentary majority.

“This is the will of the people, who expressed no confidence in the government of October 7 and draft evasion, and in the draft-dodgers’ bloc as a whole,” Eisenkot wrote on X, taking direct aim at Netanyahu and his political allies.

“We have more long days of work ahead of us, but we are focused on the weighty task entrusted to us: bringing change to Israel and establishing a Zionist government committed to military conscription,” Eisenkot added, following what he described as a long day of meetings, vowing to “rise to the great challenge ahead of us”.

Arab-led parties could hold the key

In defiant comments after the vote — which showed his Likud party losing ground since the 2022 election — Netanyahu dismissed the idea of partnering with Arab parties as treasonous.

Netanyahu's top challenger, centrist former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, has left the door open to partnering with Arab parties under certain conditions, including their recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and of Hamas as an extremist group.

It's not clear whether some of Eisenkot's likely partners who have ruled out such an alliance will change their minds to force Netanyahu from office.

The most obvious path to a parliamentary majority could involve Eisenkot partnering with Arab-led parties parties, but that's politically challenging.

Chairman of left wing party speaks to media

Amid these ongoing political developments, Yair Golan, chairman of the left-wing political faction The Democrats, marked his first media interaction since election polls closed by announcing that he intends to meet with three distinct party leaders for talks aimed at government formation, though he withheld their specific identities.

Golan’s upcoming political engagements encompass key opposition figures, including Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot, alongside B’Yachad deputy leader Yair Lapid, as reported by The Times of Israel.

As a member of a four-party grouping comprising Zionist opposition factions, Golan stands apart as the sole leader within his alliance who has openly endorsed the prospect of integrating Arab parties into a coalition.

In an interview with Channel 12, Golan remarked, “I hope to meet with all of them by Sunday.” When pressed by the broadcaster on whether Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman formed part of his Thursday itinerary, Golan opted against disclosing names, according to The Times of Israel.

Outlining his political strategy, Golan emphasised his commitment to persuading fellow opposition leaders that they share a unified cause, stating that they are bound by “an overarching mission: to bring hope to the people of Israel”.

(With inputs from ANI & AP via PTI)