Likud wins in Israel, but Netanyahu needs support
The bloc favoring the elected prime minister won 53 seats, eight short of the number required for a parliamentary majority.
Israel's Central Elections Committee published final results in Jerusalem early Friday for elections held Tuesday. The count confirmed victory for Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, although the outcome does not by itself guarantee a parliamentary majority. The pro-Netanyahu alliance won 53 seats, below the 61 required for an absolute majority and government without additional support.
The opposition bloc won 48 seats, while the two Arab lists secured 19. The distribution makes forces favoring Netanyahu the largest grouping but not a parliamentary majority. Eight seats below the threshold, the bloc needs support from other forces to reach 61. The Arab lists, with 19 seats together, could be decisive in that parliamentary arithmetic.
The opposition bloc also falls short: with 48 seats, it would need 13 more to reach 61. Among forces in that space, the list associated with Gadi Eisenkot won 21 seats. Neither bloc has enough to govern alone. Formation of a majority will therefore depend on additional parliamentary support, and the two Arab lists hold enough seats to influence the calculation.
The final count included double-envelope ballots cast by Israelis voting outside their assigned polling station. After tallying them, the Central Elections Committee released the final result early Friday. The count confirmed 53 seats for the pro-Netanyahu bloc, 48 for the opposition and 19 for the two Arab lists.
The vote makes clear the difference between winning an election and assembling a governing majority. Likud's victory places it at the head of the bloc with the most seats, but its total does not reach the 61-seat minimum. The opposition is farther away, needing 13 seats. In either case, the Arab lists' number of representatives makes their support potentially relevant to reaching a parliamentary majority.