Israel projections leave both main blocs short of a majority
· BehindLines newsroom
Counting after Israel's 27 October parliamentary election showed neither main bloc with a majority, according to projections reported on 28 October. The Times of Israel cited the electoral commission with 89.8% of ballots counted: 53 seats for Benjamin Netanyahu's camp, 48 for Gadi Eisenkot's and 19 for the predominantly Arab parties.
Projections are distinct from final results
Reuters, carried by MarketScreener, reported the same seat distribution at an earlier stage, with roughly 86% counted, citing Israel's three main television channels. The percentages therefore describe different moments in the count.
The Knesset has 120 seats, and an absolute majority requires 61. On that provisional distribution, neither bloc can reach the threshold alone. The projected seats come from an election still being processed; they do not describe the final composition of a government.
Remaining ballots still need checks
The Times of Israel explains that double-envelope ballots remained to be counted. They include votes from soldiers, diplomats abroad and people unable to vote at their usual polling station. Separate checks are intended to ensure a person has not already voted elsewhere.
Progress in counting, the final allocation of seats and the formation of a coalition must therefore be treated as separate stages. None of these outcomes can automatically be inferred from the preceding one.
Alliances become the decisive question
Reuters says Netanyahu is to remain caretaker prime minister while Israel's president selects someone to try to form a government. The agency describes the political difficulties that direct or indirect support from Arab parties would pose for some of Eisenkot's potential partners.
Those obstacles do not make any scenario certain. Leading the largest bloc does not guarantee a majority. Nor does adding seats on paper prove that a political agreement exists. Negotiations and the final results remain decisive.