Israel, final count: Benjamin Netanyahu wins elections but does not achieve a majority

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Israel published the final results of this Tuesday’s elections, giving victory to the Likud party of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, achieving 27 seats, and 53 seats for his coalition, which is not enough to govern.

The final results of the elections, once the so-called “double envelope” votes of Israelis who vote outside their assigned polling station have been counted, indicate that the opposition party Yashar! came in second place! of Gadi Eisenkot, with 21 seats.

The pro-Netanyahu coalition obtained a total of 53 seats compared to 48 for the opposition bloc and 19 for the two Arab lists, a possible hinge necessary to reach the majority of 61 seats in Parliament.

As published by the CEC in a statement, 5,716,665 were counted, of which 5,690,778 were considered valid and eleven parties exceeded the electoral threshold of 3.25% to obtain seats, which in these elections required 184,947 votes.

Official block numbers

From Netanyahu’s bloc, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism won seven seats and Shas 6, and the ultranationalist Jewish Power of Itamar Ben Gvir won seven, and Religious Zionism of Betsalel Smotrich six.

In the opposition bloc, Yashar!’s 21 seats! The twelve from Juntos, the formation of former prime ministers Naftali Bénet and Yair Lapid, join; the eight from The Democrats, by Yair Golan, and the seven from Israel Beitenu, by Avigdor Líberman.

Among the Arab parties, which are not part of either bloc, the leftist Joint List would obtain eleven seats and the Islamist Raam, of Mansur Abbas, eight.

Netanyahu is thus missing eight seats for an absolute majority, and Eisenkot’s bloc is thirteen, so neither of them could govern without the support of the Arab parties or deputies of the opposing bloc. Efe