Netanyahu's bloc leads Israel's partial election count but falls short of a majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp is ahead in Israel's general election but remains below the 61-seat threshold required to govern alone in the 120-member Knesset, BBC News reported based on partial results.

Once 85% of votes had been tallied, the BBC said, Likud and its partners on the far right and in the ultra-Orthodox community were projected to take 53 seats. The rival camp of Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief whose Yashar party leads a group of four Jewish opposition factions, stood at 48. Arab-led parties were on track for 19 seats, a record.

Initial projections looked different. PBS NewsHour reported election-night estimates of 53 seats for Eisenkot's alliance, 50 for Netanyahu's and 17 for Arab parties. According to the BBC, broadcasters later adjusted their exit polls to show the two camps level or Netanyahu slightly ahead, and the actual count then improved on those numbers for his side. The BBC added that his projected total still trails the bloc's strength in the previous parliament by 15 seats.

Roughly 430,000 to 480,000 votes cast by absentees such as soldiers, diplomats and patients in hospitals had not yet been counted, the BBC said, meaning official figures may need another day or two.

Each leader argues he deserves the first chance to build a coalition. Speaking in Jerusalem, Netanyahu claimed his side had won. "We must put in place a strong right-wing national government," he said, according to the BBC. In Tel Aviv, Eisenkot told backers that voters wanted change.

The BBC said Arab parties might decide the outcome, though almost every Jewish party has ruled out an alliance with them. PBS reported that Eisenkot's partners appear unwilling to rely on Arab backing for a minority government, and that opposition leaders have refused to join Netanyahu in a unity government, which PBS said President Donald Trump and his aides would like. If neither forms, PBS said, Netanyahu could stay on in a caretaker role and Israelis might face repeat elections.

President Isaac Herzog, who will meet each faction before picking someone to try forming a government, hailed a 77.7% turnout, the best in over 20 years, the BBC reported. "We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections," he said.

On Wednesday, Likud accused its opponents of stealing the vote through bribery, intimidation, fraud and forbidden software, but presented no proof, according to the BBC. The Central Elections Committee said it would look into the allegations.

This was Israel's first national vote since Hamas led the October 7, 2023, attacks and the regional wars that came after. The BBC listed accountability for security lapses, drafting ultra-Orthodox men and changes to the judiciary among the main issues. PBS said some 70,000 expatriates flew home to cast ballots, since Israel does not allow voting by mail.

Compiled by True News from reporting by BBC News and PBS NewsHour. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/550