Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition has emerged ahead in Israel's national election, but remains short of the parliamentary majority needed to form a government, setting the stage for potentially weeks of political negotiations.With more than 85% of votes counted Wednesday, Netanyahu's Likud party and its religious and nationalist allies were projected to capture 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.Arab-led parties were projected to win a combined 19 seats, potentially giving them a decisive role in determining Israel's next government.The latest figures from Israel's Central Elections Committee leave both major political blocs short of the 61 seats required to govern. The election, held Tuesday, was Israel's first national vote since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks that killed approximately 1,200 people and triggered the war in Gaza.Voter turnout reached approximately 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades, reflecting intense public interest in the country's political future.Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, campaigned on his government's military record, national security and close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, campaigned on replacing Netanyahu's government and pursuing a different approach to national leadership.Both leaders addressed supporters after polls closed, with each presenting the early results as a victory.Netanyahu argued that his political allies had secured strong support among Jewish Israeli voters."The right-wing bloc has a clear, decisive majority among the Zionist public," Netanyahu told supporters.Eisenkot, meanwhile, declared that voters had delivered a message demanding political change."We made history! The public has voted for change," he said. Despite Netanyahu's lead, the results suggest he will face significant challenges assembling another governing coalition..Israel's electoral system distributes parliamentary seats proportionally among qualifying parties, meaning the largest party does not automatically form the government.Instead, party leaders must negotiate alliances capable of commanding a majority in the Knesset.The election's biggest surprise was the strong showing by Arab-led political parties, which could collectively control 19 seats, according to the latest projections.Those parties include the Joint List and the United Arab List, also known as Ra'am.Their combined representation could complicate coalition negotiations because both Netanyahu and several opposition leaders have expressed reluctance to depend on Arab parties to form a government.However, some opposition politicians have urged Eisenkot to consider working with Arab representatives to end Netanyahu's leadership.Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, has publicly called for cooperation with Arab parties, arguing that excluding them would undermine efforts to build an alternative government.Eisenkot has previously ruled out joining a government led by Netanyahu, further narrowing the available coalition options.The election was also a major test of Netanyahu's leadership following years of political divisions, military conflict and criticism over the security failures surrounding the October 7 attacks.His government has faced pressure over its handling of the Gaza war, relations with neighbouring countries and the possibility of further military action against Iran.Netanyahu's supporters credit his government with confronting Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, while critics accuse him of failing to prevent the October 7 attacks and prolonging political instability.The prime minister has also faced international criticism over Israel's military operations in Gaza, where Palestinian health authorities report more than 74,000 deaths since the war began.Netanyahu has rejected allegations of war crimes and defended Israel's military campaign as necessary to protect the country..The election attracted attention from Washington, where Trump had publicly endorsed Netanyahu during the campaign.Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Trump said he had heard Netanyahu performed well in the election but cautioned that the results remained uncertain."I'm hearing that he did very well," Trump said, adding that it was still early in the counting process.Trump also confirmed he had not yet spoken with Netanyahu about the results. Once the official results are confirmed, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult political parties before selecting the leader he believes has the best chance of assembling a governing coalition.That leader will then have an opportunity to negotiate agreements with other parties to secure parliamentary support.Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister while those negotiations proceed.If neither political bloc can assemble a majority, Israel could face another election, extending the political uncertainty.Election officials expect the remaining ballots, including hundreds of thousands cast by military personnel, to be counted over the coming days.The Central Elections Committee said approximately 600,000 special ballots had yet to be included in the latest projections.Final results are expected later this week.
