UPDATE
Oct 28, 2026 6:51 AM CDT
Early results from Tuesday's election in Israel still show no bloc with a clear path to power, reports the New York Times. With more than 75% of the ballots counted by early Wednesday afternoon local time, per the AP's tally, neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing alliance nor Gadi Eisenkot's opposition camp appears able to govern alone, leaving both eyeing uneasy partnerships. Eisenkot has ruled out Netanyahu and balked at relying on Arab parties, even as those latter factions look set to win up to 18 of the Knesset's 120 seats. Some in Netanyahu's camp are floating a unity government with centrists, while Bibi could also gamble on a second election if coalition talks collapse. Both leaders nonetheless claimed momentum in late-night victory-style speeches. Meanwhile, Politico notes that Americans seem to not care much about this race.
Oct 27, 2026 5:46 PM CDT
Israel's highest-turnout election in more than 25 years appears to have produced one thing above all: gridlock. Exit polls show opposition parties holding a slim edge over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc, but neither camp seems to have the 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset needed to govern, the New York Times reports. Netanyahu's Likud is projected to finish slightly ahead of the party of Gadi Eisenkot, the ex-military chief who emerged as Netanyahu's main challenger. Most Israeli news channels project 50 seats for the current coalition, but Channel 14, described by the Times of Israel as "staunchly pro-government," puts the total at 60.
- Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, says Netanyahu's bloc, which previously held 68 seats, appears to have suffered a "significant defeat," the AP reports. "Netanyahu doesn't have a realistic path for forming a coalition with the current parties," Plesner says.
Yair Golan, leader of the opposition bloc Democrats, expected to win 9 seats, declared victory for the bloc Tuesday night, saying Israel has "fired Netanyahu and Likud." Arab parties are on track for a record showing of up to 18 seats, making them potential kingmakers—and a flashpoint. Eisenkot and some allies have resisted depending on their backing, while Netanyahu has accused Arab voters of "trying to steal the elections," though officials say there's no sign of major irregularities.
But with no clear winner and around a dozen parties expected to win seats in the Knesset, it could be weeks or even months before a ruling coalition emerges, the AP reports. Analysts are already floating a fraught possibility: an uneasy unity government between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, the Times reports.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
