Netanyahu’s bloc projected to secure 54 seats, Eisenkot-led bloc 49 as Israeli vote count reaches 84%

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 54 seats in the 120-member Knesset, seven short of a governing majority, with 84.5% of votes counted in Israel’s parliamentary elections, according to Israeli media.

The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot was projected to secure 49 seats, while predominantly Arab parties were projected to win 17 seats, according to The Times of Israel newspaper, citing the Central Elections Committee.

Neither major bloc was projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.

The predominantly Arab Joint List was projected to win 11 seats, while the United Arab List (Ra’am) was expected to secure six.

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Among individual parties, Netanyahu’s Likud was projected to lead with 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot’s Yashar with 22.

The Together alliance was expected to secure 12 seats.

The Democrats party was projected to win eight seats, while Yisrael Beiteinu was expected to secure seven.

Shas, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit were also expected to secure seven seats each. Religious Zionism was projected to win six seats.

The results remain provisional and may change as vote counting continues.

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