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Israel's Knesset dissolves, setting October 27 election

Israel's Knesset dissolves, setting October 27 election

Rule Changes

Final results give Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and the opposition 48, with Arab-led parties holding a record 19 and no side near a majority

2 days ago: Final results confirm no bloc has a majority

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Final results from the October 27 election give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc 53 seats and the opposition bloc 48, with Arab-led parties on a record 19. No side has the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, so coalition talks are under way.

The Arab-led parties are now potential kingmakers, and Netanyahu's opponents hold 67 seats between them. Those parties are pushing to elect a new Knesset speaker, while Likud wants the vote delayed until a Shin Bet inquiry into foreign interference finishes. Channel 12 reported that United Torah Judaism, with seven seats, could back a Gadi Eisenkot government from outside in exchange for compromises on the military draft.

Why it matters

The next coalition decides whether Netanyahu's laws curbing courts and media survive, and whether Arab-led parties help pick the prime minister.

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Key Indicators

53
Netanyahu bloc seats
Likud and its allies in the 120-seat Knesset, per the final count.
48
Opposition bloc seats
Parties led by Gadi Eisenkot's camp, eight short of a majority.
19
Arab-led party seats
A record high, up from 10 in the 2022 election.
61
Seats for a majority
The threshold a governing coalition must reach.
77.7%
Voter turnout
Turnout figure cited by Yair Lapid after the vote.

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People Involved

Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel, leader of Likud
His bloc won 53 seats, short of a majority; met Ben-Gvir and Smotrich on October 29 to discuss keeping a right-wing government.
 Gali Baharav-Miara
Gali Baharav-Miara
Attorney General of Israel
Powers curtailed by a law passed July 15
 Naftali Bennett
Naftali Bennett
Former prime minister; leader in the anti-Netanyahu change bloc
Campaigning with the bloc seeking to unseat Netanyahu
 Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor Liberman
Chair of Yisrael Beytenu, opposition figure
Opposing the coalition's final-week legislation
 Gadi Eisenkot
Gadi Eisenkot
Former IDF chief of staff; leader of Yashar Party
Leads the opposition bloc that won 48 seats; negotiating with Arab-led parties and preparing bills for the new Knesset.
 Benny Gantz
Benny Gantz
Former IDF chief of staff; former Blue and White leader
Withdrew Blue and White from the October 27 election
 Mansour Abbas
Mansour Abbas
Chairman of Ra'am, an Arab-led party
His party is part of the Arab-led bloc that won a record 19 seats; met Yair Golan, Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Lapid on October 29.

Organizations Involved

Knesset (Parliament of Israel)
Knesset (Parliament of Israel)
National Parliament
Election held; final results give no bloc 61 seats, and a fight over the speakership is under way

Israel's 120-seat parliament, which chooses the prime minister and passes national law.
Likud
Likud
Political party
Won 53 seats with its allies, short of a majority; seeking to hold a right-wing government together

Israel's main right-wing party, led by Netanyahu and the anchor of the current coalition.
YP
Yashar Party
Political party
Part of the opposition bloc that won 48 seats; negotiating to form a government with Arab-led parties

New party led by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot.

Timeline

December 2022 October 2026

12 events Latest: 2 days ago Showing 8 of 12
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Final results confirm no bloc has a majority

    Latest Election

    Netanyahu's bloc wins 53 seats, the opposition bloc 48 and Arab-led parties a record 19. Neither side reaches 61 in the 120-seat Knesset.

  2. Opposition moves to replace Knesset speaker

    Political

    Parties opposed to Netanyahu, holding 67 seats between them, push to elect a new speaker. Likud says the vote should wait for a Shin Bet inquiry into foreign interference.

  3. Ultra-Orthodox party floats backing Eisenkot from outside

    Political

    Channel 12 reports United Torah Judaism, with seven seats, would abstain in exchange for compromises on the military draft and accept Eisenkot relying on Ra'am's votes.

  4. Party leaders open coalition talks

    Political

    Eisenkot's camp meets in several configurations, including with Ra'am chairman Mansour Abbas. Netanyahu meets Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to discuss keeping a right-wing government.

  5. Israelis vote for the 26th Knesset

    Election

    Voters choose all 120 Knesset members. Polls close at 10 p.m. local time; final results released on October 30 show no bloc with 61 seats.

  6. Netanyahu denies report of pre-vote clash over Iran

    Political

    Netanyahu's office calls a Channel 12 report of a pre-vote clash with the military over a possible Iran action "fake news."

  7. Gantz withdraws Blue and White from election

    Political

    Blue and White leader Benny Gantz says his party will not stand in the October 27 election after polls showed it short of the Knesset threshold. Because the withdrawal came late, the party stays on the ballot and votes for it are wasted.

  8. Knesset dissolves, sets October 27 vote

    Political

    Parliament votes 62-0 to disband, ending the first full four-year term since 1988. Netanyahu votes in favor.

  9. Coalition guts attorney general's powers

    Legislation

    The Knesset votes 65-51 to let ministers reject the attorney general's legal opinions and to give the coalition more say over the post.

  10. Netanyahu ends trial testimony

    Legal

    The prime minister wraps up 98 hearings across 18 months in his corruption trial, which now heads to closing arguments.

  11. Ultra-Orthodox parties quit the coalition

    Political

    United Torah Judaism leaves the government over a military draft dispute, cutting Netanyahu near 60 seats.

  12. Netanyahu returns to power

    Political

    Netanyahu forms a coalition with religious and far-right parties, starting the 25th Knesset's term.

Scenarios

1

Netanyahu forms another government after the vote

Possible Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Haaretz and Times of Israel polling coverage; Britannica election preview

Likud stays the largest party and, with its religious and far-right allies, reaches 61 seats. Netanyahu is tasked by the president with forming a coalition and returns as prime minister. Polls before the October 27 vote showed Likud and its allies close to the opposition blocs, with neither side projected to reach 61 seats. The outcome turns on turnout and whether smaller right-wing parties clear the 3.25% threshold.

2

Anti-Netanyahu bloc wins and replaces him

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Times of Israel poll reports; Steptoe strategic outlook

Opposition parties led by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar Party, plus Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Liberman and others, together reach 61 seats and agree on a government without Likud. A new prime minister is sworn in and moves to reverse or freeze the media and attorney-general laws. Fragmented negotiations and personal rivalries are the main obstacle to a stable alternative bloc.

3

Deadlock forces another election

Unlikely Resolves by May 31, 2027

Discussed by: Analysts cited by Haaretz and The Times of Israel

Neither bloc reaches 61 seats, and coalition talks collapse over the same splits that have marked recent years. If no one can form a government within the legal windows, Israel heads back to the polls, repeating the pattern of five elections between 2019 and 2022. This depends on close results and refusals to sit together.

4

Eisenkot governs with outside support from ultra-Orthodox parties

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Channel 12, reported by ABC News

United Torah Judaism, with seven seats, abstains from no-confidence votes rather than opposing an Eisenkot government, in exchange for compromises on military draft rules. Shas follows. Eisenkot then relies on Ra'am's votes to hold a majority without the ultra-Orthodox parties formally joining the coalition.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

April 2019 - November 2022

Israel's five elections in four years (2019-2022)

Israel held five national elections in under four years because no bloc could form a stable majority. Netanyahu lost power in 2021 to a broad coalition under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, then returned in late 2022. Each round turned largely on whether voters backed or opposed Netanyahu.

Then

The 2021 government collapsed within a year, triggering the fifth vote.

Now

Netanyahu came back at the head of his most right-wing coalition yet.

Why this matters now

It shows how fragile Israeli coalitions are and why a deadlock in October could again mean no clear winner.

January - September 2023

The judicial overhaul protests (2023)

Netanyahu's government pushed a plan to limit the Supreme Court's power over the government. Hundreds of thousands protested for months, and reservists threatened to stop serving. The Supreme Court later struck down a central piece of the plan.

Then

The fight split the country before the October 7 war paused it.

Now

The dispute over the courts and the attorney general never ended and shapes the 2026 campaign.

Why this matters now

The laws passed in the Knesset's final week revive the same fight over checks on government power.

1988 - 1992

The 1988 Knesset's full term

The last time before now that an Israeli parliament served a complete four-year term. In the decades since, coalitions repeatedly broke apart early, forcing snap elections well before schedule.

Then

The 1992 vote brought Yitzhak Rabin's Labor government to power.

Now

Early collapses became the norm, making a full term rare.

Why this matters now

Reaching the four-year mark this time is itself unusual and marks how the current coalition held together despite strains.

Sources

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The Times of Israel Al Jazeera Haaretz Wikipedia AP News BBC The Times of India The Washington Post ABC News The Jerusalem Post The Guardian i24NEWS The Times of Israel The Times of Israel Al Jazeera AP News The Times of Israel AP News ABC News The Washington Post Al Jazeera