Israel Election Deadlock Persists as Netanyahu Bloc Projects 53 Seats

Israel’s election remained unresolved on October 29, 2026, with Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc projected to hold 53 seats and no alliance demonstrating an agreed governing majority, according to The Associated Press . Counting continued after the October 27 vote, leaving coalition negotiations open.

Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc was projected to win 48 seats, while the Arab led parties held 19. Neither main bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120 seat Knesset. These figures are provisional projections, not certified final results.

Netanyahu’s bloc is eight seats short of a majority. Eisenkot’s bloc needs 13 additional supporters, but political disagreements have prevented the parties outside Netanyahu’s alliance from agreeing on a government.

What the Count Shows

The latest clearly documented Central Elections Committee update, reported by The Times of Israel , showed 89.8% of votes counted on the evening of October 28. It produced the same 53, 48 and 19 seat split reported on October 29.

Counting of double envelope ballots, including votes cast by soldiers and diplomats, continued on October 29. Certified official results are due by November 4.

The distinction matters: the projections describe the emerging parliamentary balance, but they do not establish who can form a government.

Coalition Barriers Remain

Eisenkot’s 48 seats and the Arab led parties’ 19 would together total 67. That arithmetic does not represent an agreed coalition.

According to The Times of Israel, opposition leaders remain divided over cooperation with Arab parties. Democrats leader Yair Golan has welcomed cooperation with Mansour Abbas’s Ra’am, while Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman oppose a government dependent on Arab party support. Eisenkot has also set conditions that obstruct their participation.

Arab party representatives have nevertheless reported contacts with opposition figures. Ahmad Tibi said discussions included replacing the Knesset speaker. Support for a speaker candidate would not, by itself, constitute support for a cabinet.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has sought to preserve his existing alliance. The Times of Israel reported that on October 28 he assured Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich that he would not abandon them for a unity coalition. Eisenkot has explicitly ruled out serving under Netanyahu, including through a rotating premiership.

What Happens Next

Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister while efforts to form a government continue. According to ABC News , a minority government supported through an agreed parliamentary voting arrangement remains a separate possibility, but no such arrangement has been secured.

The immediate milestones are certification of the results by November 4 and the new Knesset’s scheduled inauguration on November 10, according to AP. Until parties agree on governing support, the election’s provisional seat totals leave Israel without a clear path to a new government.