Arab Parties Emerge Kingmakers In Israel As Netanyahu Falls Short

The final vote count from Israel's 2026 general parliament election confirms that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won 53 seats, falling short of the 61-seat majority required to form a government, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported.

Meanwhile, the opposition bloc secured 48, according to the Central Elections Committee numbers that were released on Thursday.

However, since both the blocs have failed to secure an absolute majority of 61 seats, the Arab parties which have won a total of 19 seats, emerge as the kingmakers.

Netanyahu's Likud party is expected to have 27 seats, which will make it the largest party in the Knesset.

If Netanyahu loses office, it would trigger a chain of events that he has been trying to evade. He would face accountability for long-standing corruption charges, and a formal investigation would almost certainly be launched into the security lapses surrounding the devastating Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Even without a role in a coalition, Arab-led parties could assert their growing power by supporting other Netanyahu opponents in the next parliament. That could include electing a new speaker, giving them control of the agenda and potentially allowing them to advance and pass legislation before a new government is formed.

Netanyahu's main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has indicated he is open, with conditions, to joining forces with the Arab-led parties. Ahmad Tibi, second on the Arab-led Joint List, told Army Radio the opposition bloc reached out to him to discuss replacing the Knesset speaker, and he told them the party would support the bloc's candidate.

However, if a new government is not formed, Israel would face another election early next year.

Netanyahu's party on Thursday amplified unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election, potentially with foreign assistance, as final results were expected to confirm Netanyahu's bloc had lost its majority in parliament.

The opposition accused Netanyahu of demonising the Arab population after a historic showing by Arab-led parties in an attempt to delegitimise the emerging results of the election.