Jerusalem, Oct 29:
Israel has completed counting votes in its October 27 parliamentary election, but the results leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc short of a majority in the 120-member Knesset. With all votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, compared with 48 for the opposition and 19 for Arab parties, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
The outcome leaves no political bloc with the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, setting the stage for potentially difficult coalition negotiations. Netanyahu’s Likud emerged as the largest party, winning 27 seats, but its position does not guarantee that he can form the next government.
The final count followed the counting of special ballots, known as double-envelope votes, by Israel’s Central Elections Committee. These ballots include votes cast by soldiers, prisoners, diplomats stationed abroad and hospitalised voters who could not vote at their regular polling stations.
Among other parties, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar won 21 seats, while B’Yachad secured 12 and the Joint List took 11. The Democrats and Ra’am won eight seats each. United Torah Judaism, Yisrael Beiteinu and Otzma Yehudit secured seven seats apiece, while Shas and Religious Zionism won six each.