Live Updates: Eisenkot warns current government harms democracy, Ben-Gvir mocks rumors UTJ might join opposition
Ofer Winter urges Bennett, Liberman to form unity gov't with Netanyahu • Liberman backs Lapid for speaker, calls for haredi draft compromise and parties to join gov't
Follow us on GoogleYashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot alongside members of his party at the party’s election headquarters in Tel Aviv, following the closing of polling stations and the release of exit poll results on Israel’s general election night, October 28, 2026.(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Ben-Gvir mocks possibility of UTJ joining opposition parties
ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFItamar Ben-Gvir speaks to 'The Jerusalem Post' October 21, 2026(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Think you understand Israel's election? Here are 10 things the world may have missed - opinion
For the reported 67,000 Israelis who came here to vote and are returning home, and for the rest of us sticking around, here are 10 talking points for explaining our election results to the world.
ByGIL HOFFMANProtesters demonstrate outside the President’s Residence during consultations between President Isaac Herzog and political parties, in Jerusalem, November 5, 2026(photo credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)Go to the full article > >
Tibi pledges support for Eisenkot, rejects conditions for joining government - report
'Yom Kippur for most pollsters': What Israel’s election taught us about certainty - comment
Israel’s election forced us to rethink the pollsters we trusted and the assumptions we brought into the newsroom
ByZVIKA KLEINPlacards are seen on the floor after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to supporters at the Likud party election night event at the Teddy Hall, International Convention Center in Jerusalem in October.(photo credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)Go to the full article > >
A broken system: Can Israel fix its electoral rules before its democracy crumbles? - analysis
Some of the following ideas may need to wait until the main battle in Israeli politics is no longer between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp and the anti-Netanyahu camp.
Golan claims Netanyahu is trying to stage coup, warns Israel's security is in danger
Netanyahu is "in a panic" and attempting to seize power by force, Golan claimed, warning of threats to Israeli security while expressing optimism over coalition negotiations.
ByJAMES GENNDemocrats head Yair Golan at meeting of opposition heads after Israel's election, November 3, 2026.(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)Go to the full article > >Israel votes 2026: All you need to know
The final voter turnout was 77.7% when polls closed at 10:00 p.m., according to the Central Elections Committee (CEC), up 7.1% from the 2022 election.
Likud remains the largest party: Netanyahu's Likud won 27 seats, followed by Eisenkot's Yashar with 21 and Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad with 12.
Netanyahu's bloc leads, but falls short of a majority: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
Arab parties hold 19 seats: The Joint List and Ra'am secured a combined 19 seats, giving them a potentially decisive role in efforts to form the next government.
What happens next? Once the official results are published, President Isaac Herzog will consult with representatives of the elected parties before tasking a lawmaker with forming the next government. The designated candidate will initially have 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to form a coalition.
Could Israel face another election? If no candidate succeeds in forming a government through the prescribed process, the political deadlock could ultimately lead to another election.
