Israel faces a fresh period of political uncertainty after elections failed to produce a clear governing majority, leaving Benjamin Netanyahu as caretaker prime minister while rival parties seek a way to remove him from power.
The latest vote marks the sixth Israeli election in less than seven years, highlighting the country’s prolonged struggle to form stable governments.
Several scenarios could now determine Israel’s political future, ranging from another election to a national unity government or a minority administration led by opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot.
New elections remain a possibility
Once the election results are formally announced next week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected to consult representatives of the political parties before choosing a candidate he believes can form a government.
If the first candidate fails, the task can be assigned to another politician. The process may also allow the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to nominate a further candidate. The process can last around 100 days, and failure to reach an agreement could trigger another election.
Herzog said on Wednesday that everything possible should be done to avoid another vote, urging political parties to approach consultations with an open mind.
National unity government could secure a majority
One possible outcome would see Netanyahu’s Likud party form a government with centrist and right-wing parties, including Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar, Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu and Naftali Bennett’s Yesh Atid.
The proposed coalition could command 66 seats in the 120-member Knesset, according to the scenario outlined in the report.
However, such an arrangement would face significant political obstacles. Netanyahu would have to abandon his traditional allies on the far right and the ultra-Orthodox religious parties.
Opposition parties would also have to reconsider their central campaign commitment to remove Netanyahu from office.
A unity government could become more plausible if weeks of negotiations fail to produce another workable coalition. Renewed conflict with Iran or other regional adversaries could also change the political calculations.
Eisenkot could seek support from Arab parties
Another possibility would involve Herzog asking Eisenkot to form a government with support from Yesh Atid, The Democrats and Yisrael Beiteinu, alongside the Arab parties Ra’am and the Joint List.
Under the scenario described, the proposed coalition would hold 48 seats, with the two Arab parties providing another 10 seats in parliamentary support, bringing the total to 58.
However, the figures in the supplied report do not add up to a majority of 67 seats in the 120-member parliament. The precise parliamentary arithmetic would therefore need to be clarified before publication.
The arrangement would also represent a political challenge for Eisenkot, who campaigned against relying on Arab parties to form a government. Such cooperation could face opposition among Israeli voters, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks.
The Democrats, a centre-left party, has been the only party across the political spectrum to explicitly call for Arab parties to participate in a future government, according to the report.
Both Arab parties have said they are prepared to cooperate with Eisenkot’s camp.
Ra’am previously joined Naftali Bennett’s government in 2021, marking the first time an independent Arab party had entered an Israeli governing coalition. That government collapsed 18 months later.
Netanyahu could still pursue a right-wing government
Netanyahu’s coalition has fallen from 64 seats in the previous parliamentary term to 53, based on the results cited in the report.
Despite the setback, Netanyahu has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to exploit divisions among his opponents and attract members of rival parties to his side.
He used a similar strategy ahead of the 2022 election, when he returned to power after defeating the opposing bloc.
The latest results leave him with a difficult path to a majority, but negotiations could still reshape the balance of power as parties weigh their options.
With no clear governing majority emerging from the vote, Israel’s political future will depend on whether rival parties can overcome their differences or whether voters will be called back to the polls.
Also read: Israel election turnout highest in over 40 years
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