Israel election by the numbers: who might form the next government?

Skip to content Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images Published: October 29, 2026 12:00am EDT Israel has voted and neither Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition or Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc are going to secure the 61 seats required to form government. One of the two blocs will now need to begin the long and complicated task of negotiations between the smaller factional parties to form a government. Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, will decide who gets the first chance to do so. This could involve the Arab parties, who may hold the balance of power. Whether either bloc would welcome an Arab-aligned party into their coalition, however, remains to be seen. Want to write? Write an article and join a growing community of more than 235,700 academics and researchers from 5,645 institutions. Register now