Vote counting is underway in Israel following the October 27 parliamentary elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s Likud-led bloc appearing on course to emerge as the largest in the 120-member Knesset.
However, neither Netanyahu’s coalition nor the opposition alliance led by Yashar party chief and former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, who has emerged as the Israeli premier’s main rival, is likely to secure a clear majority.
Parties must secure at least 3.25% of the national vote to win seats. The nominee will have up to 42 days to form a government. The final vote count is expected by October 30, while the official results are due to be published on November 4, a week after the election.
Exit polls released by major Israeli television channels offer an early indication of the parties’ relative strength but cannot reliably predict the final seat tally, particularly given the country’s fragmented political landscape. Once the final results are declared, parties are expected to engage in potentially lengthy negotiations to form a governing coalition. If the talks fail, Israel could face another election. The count also includes hundreds of thousands of ballots cast by Israeli soldiers and diplomats voting from outside the country. Israel uses a proportional representation system in which Knesset seats are allocated to national party lists based on their share of the vote. Once the final tally is in, President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders before asking the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government to do so.
Israel’s Central Election Committee was still counting votes on Wednesday, with definitive results expected by Thursday.