Israel faces deep political paralysis following the October 27, 2026 national election, in which neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition (53 seats) nor Gadi Eisenkot's opposition alliance (48 seats) reached a 61-seat majority. An unprecedented 80% Arab voter turnout propelled Arab parties to a record 19 seats. However, unwillingness among main opposition leaders to form a government with Arab parties leaves Netanyahu as caretaker prime minister amid coalition wrangling and potential new elections.
Main political bloc seat counts
- ▪The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot secured 48 seats in the October 27, 2026 Israeli national election, leaving both major political blocs without a clear majority
- ▪In the October 27, 2026 Israeli national election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing, far-right, and ultra-Orthodox coalition won 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, falling short of the 61 seats needed for a majority
Arab voter turnout and seat gains
- ▪In the October 27, 2026 election, Arab-majority parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel won an unprecedented 19 Knesset seats, up from 10, divided between the Joint List with 12 seats and Ra'am with 7 seats
- ▪Turnout among Arab citizens of Israel reached an estimated eighty per cent during the October 27, 2026 national election
Opposition debate on Arab party cooperation
- ▪Democrats party leader Yair Golan urged the opposition bloc to form a majority coalition government in partnership with Arab Israeli parties
- ▪Gadi Eisenkot ruled out forming a minority government directly dependent on Arab-led parties while establishing conditions that prevented their formal coalition entry
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