Skip next section Netanyahu, Eisenkot blocs far from majority as count nears its end October 29, 2026

Netanyahu, Eisenkot blocs far from majority as count nears its end

With 89.8% of ballots counted, the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 48 seats for the anti-Netanyahu alliance led by former military commander Gadi Eisenkot, according to the Central Election Committee (CEC) as reported by the Times of Israel .

That leaves both blocs far short of the 61 seats needed for a majority.

The two majority Arab parties seem set to win 19 seats between them, a record tally that beats their previous high of 15 seats.

Netanyahu has ruled out working with the Arab parties to gain a majority, but there have been signs that some parties in Eisenkot's bloc might be open to the idea, though Eisenkot himself has also previously rejected it.

The absentee ballots — "double-envelope" votes — whose count began on Thursday are not expected to…