Israel election results highlights: Netanyahu alleges polls ‘stolen’ by Arab parties; Joint List denies claims

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With over 90% of votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 53 seats, compared with 48 for Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc, according to Israel’s Central Election Committee.

The two Arab-led parties were projected to secure 19 seats combined, while neither main bloc had reached the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.

Israel’s Central Elections Commission has begun counting double-envelope ballots, including votes cast by soldiers, prisoners, medical personnel and Israeli representatives abroad.

As per The Times of Israel, results from 11,712 of 12,018 regular polling stations have been processed, with the remaining ballots undergoing verification.

Party leaders began outlining potential alliances before Israel’s official election results were finalised.

According to the NYTimes, Gadi Eisenkot stressed the need for a Zionist government with universal military conscription, while the Joint List vowed to work to remove Benjamin Netanyahu from office

Israelis faced political uncertainty a day after voting, as no party appeared close to securing a parliamentary majority. Early results offered some relief to Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters, while opposition supporters faced the prospect of a prolonged political deadlock.

Democrats party leader Yair Golan said Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, could join Israel’s next governing coalition. Golan claimed the bloc opposing Benjamin Netanyahu held 67 seats, compared with 53 for the prime minister’s bloc.

The Israeli shekel weakened by around 2% to 3.1185 against the US dollar as election results showed no clear winner, Reuters reported. Tel Aviv’s benchmark stock index also fell around 3%, while Israeli bonds declined.

Israel election results LIVE: The Joint List has rejected Likud’s allegations that Arab parties “stole” Israel’s election, with its leader Ahmad Tibi describing the claims as “the rhetoric of the defeated”.

“There were no irregularities in the elections,” Tibi told Al Jazeera, adding that some in Israel were seeking to “delegitimise the votes cast for Arab parties”.

The Joint List, an alliance of Arab-led parties, is on course to win 12 seats in the Knesset, according to preliminary tallies. Tibi described the result as a “sweeping victory”. Likud has called for investigations into alleged election irregularities, but its claims have not been independently verified.

Israel election results LIVE: US President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in “pretty good shape” following partial election results, claiming his endorsement had helped the Israeli leader’s performance. Trump told Axios he had initially received “horror reports” about Netanyahu’s prospects but said the situation had improved. He added that he had not yet decided whether to get involved in efforts to help Netanyahu form the next government.

Israel election results LIVE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has alleged that Arab parties committed election fraud in Tuesday’s election and demanded investigations by the police, Shin Bet and Central Elections Committee.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Netanyahu’s account said Likud would submit hundreds of testimonies and pieces of evidence alleging irregularities at Arab polling stations, including bribery, threats, violence, forged documents and multiple voting. These remain allegations made by Likud and have not been independently verified in the statement.

The party called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of those found responsible, describing the alleged acts as a threat to Israel’s democracy and the integrity of the election.

Israel election results LIVE: Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas has said his party could overcome the obstacles to joining a government led by Gadi Eisenkot. Speaking to Israeli television after voting ended, Abbas said he believed most voters in Eisenkot’s bloc wanted to see Ra’am in the government. He also said senior members of the opposition grouping had discussed a possible deal with him before the election. Eisenkot, however, had ruled out a coalition with Arab parties during the campaign.

Israel election results LIVE: Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Arab-dominated Joint List, said his party would use its projected 12 seats to help remove Netanyahu’s government and change Israel’s political situation. Jabareen ruled out joining an Eisenkot-led government because of its support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its occupation of southern Lebanon. However, he left open the possibility of supporting a minority government from outside the coalition, including during confidence votes.

Israel election results LIVE: Israel’s two main Arab parties are on course to win around 19 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, nearly double their current representation, according to preliminary vote tallies. The result follows strong turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel in Tuesday’s election. Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats, while the grouping led by his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, is expected to secure 48. Neither bloc has reached the 61 seats needed for a majority.

Israel election results LIVE: US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the lead held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc in the preliminary election results had “really surprised a lot of people”, challenging the perception that Israeli voters overwhelmingly wanted a change of government.

“I think that there was this perception that there was an overwhelming desire to change the government,” Huckabee told US broadcaster Newsmax. “Well, that didn’t turn out to be the case.”

Huckabee added that even if Netanyahu leaves office, he did not expect a major shift in Israel’s policies, saying public attitudes had changed significantly in the three years since the October 7 attacks.

Israel election results LIVE: Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has criticised opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot over his post-election speech, accusing him of urging senior security officials to disregard government directives.

Katz called Eisenkot’s remarks “an undemocratic and detached statement” and accused him of continuing what he described as a false campaign alleging tensions between Israel’s military and political leadership over Iran.

“The army will carry out any decision that is required,” Katz said in a social media post.

Israel election results LIVE: Ta’al party leader Ahmad Tibi said the opposition bloc had approached his camp to discuss “the possibility of future cooperation”, including coordinating to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a senior Likud member.

The Joint List, which includes Ta’al, holds 12 seats in interim results, while Ra’am has seven. Replacing the speaker requires at least 61 votes in the 120-member Knesset.

Israel election results LIVE: Up to 480,000 “double envelope” ballots remain to be counted, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee.

These votes are cast by eligible voters unable to vote at their assigned polling stations, including soldiers, nurses and diplomats. They are counted separately and checked to ensure voters have not cast ballots more than once.

Israel election results LIVE: Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh has accused “racism” of preventing opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot from forming a coalition with Arab-led parties to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Al Jazeera reported.

“When someone who is a candidate to be a prime minister says he does not want to sit with 20 percent of the population … this is racism, and racism is ugly, whether its victims are Jewish or the victims are Arabs,” Abu Shehadeh told Al Jazeera.

He said most Palestinian citizens of Israel had voted for Arab-led lists and questioned why such voters were being excluded from coalition talks. “It is his racism that is preventing him [from forming a coalition],” he said, urging the international community to challenge what he described as discriminatory attitudes.

Israel election results LIVE: If the parties fail to agree on a coalition, Netanyahu would remain caretaker prime minister while negotiations continue and until a new government takes office or another election is held.

Israel has held repeated elections in recent years because parties failed to secure a workable majority.

Israel election results LIVE: Eisenkot could try to form a minority government with support from Arab parties outside the coalition. Their backing, or abstention in a parliamentary vote, could help him secure the support needed to take office. However, the arrangement would depend on negotiations and the final seat count.

Israel election results LIVE: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has urged political parties to work towards forming a government and avoid another election after Tuesday’s inconclusive vote.

“We need to do everything, certainly after yesterday, so as not to hold another election. So I expect everyone who comes here to come here with an open mind,” Herzog said at a gathering at his residence.

He said he would receive the official election results next week and begin consultations with party leaders on forming the next government.

Israel election results LIVE: Arab-led parties are projected to win 17 to 19 seats and have offered to support Eisenkot’s bloc from outside a coalition. But Eisenkot has not committed to governing with them, while Netanyahu has ruled out working with Arab parties.

Israel election results LIVE: Another option is a unity government bringing Netanyahu’s Likud and Eisenkot’s opposition bloc together. But such a deal would be difficult: Netanyahu would have to part ways with his far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies, while Eisenkot’s campaign has focused on ending Netanyahu’s rule.

Israel election results LIVE: Neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, has enough seats to form a government alone after Israel’s election. Both need support from other parties to reach the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Israel election results LIVE: The Central Elections Committee has finished counting votes from regular polling stations. Double-envelope ballots, due to be counted on Wednesday evening, could still change the final distribution of Knesset seats.