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Likud Wins Most Seats, No Bloc Gets 61 Majority

By Drooid · Oct 28, 2026, 10:56 UTC · How we work

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Summary

Likud emerged as the largest party but no bloc secured a 61-seat majority.
Anti-Netanyahu bloc projected 52 seats versus Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister’s bloc 50 seats.
Arab-led parties expected 16-18 seats, a record boosted by the highest turnout.
Analysts say neither bloc can form a government without Arab parties.
If talks stall, Israel could hold a repeat election with Netanyahu as caretaker.

Summary

Likud operatives prepared complaints alleging fraud at Arab polling stations, citing women voting in burqas.
The party planned to send about 2,000 Likud and Religious Zionism activists to Arab-majority voting sites.
International outlets framed the election as a personal referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu, using headlines like “Yes or no to Bibi.”
Civil-rights watchdogs opened an election-integrity hotline to log violations as activists crowded Arab polling stations.

History

Israel’s 1996 and 2024 elections both produced fragmented Knessets that required coalition bargaining, a situation common in parliamentary democracies. By contrast, Russia moved toward centralized rule after Vladimir Putin’s 2000 presidential win, with United Russia dominating the 450-member State Duma and the president may issue decrees of unlimited scope through his office.

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Historical Context

Israel’s 1996 and 2024 elections both produced fragmented Knessets that required coalition bargaining, a situation common in parliamentary democracies. By contrast, Russia moved toward centralized rule after Vladimir Putin’s 2000 presidential win, with United Russia dominating the 450-member State Duma and the president may issue decrees of unlimited scope through his office.

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