Israel Election: Count Complete With Deadlock Unchanged; Official Results Due Wednesday

Updated Oct. 29, 2026, 5 PM CT. There are no new vote numbers. The 5 PM update below adds Ynet's coalition outlook. The 3 PM update confirmed 100% counted with the blocs unchanged, and added Likud's "Ra'amgate" allegation and the officials' response, Abbas's doubts about a minority government and a new poll. The 1 PM update added Eisenkot's video accusing Likud, the Eisenkot-Bennett meeting, the Route 4 protest and Gallant's call for a unity government. The 11 AM update added the full seat list, UTJ's reported opening to Eisenkot and the Shin Bet on its probe. The 9 AM update added the widening vote-buying probe, officials' pushback on fraud claims, Qatar's denial and new opposition talks. The 7 AM update added the Shin Bet request on the fraud claims, an UNVERIFIED unity-deal briefing, Liberman's new refusals and the latest opposition talks. The figures below replace the earlier partial counts and the election-night early count. First published Oct. 27.

Status: Count complete; results not yet official; no winner declared. The Central Elections Committee says counting is done. Official results come Wednesday, after a final election-integrity review. No camp has a majority.

5 PM CT update, Oct. 29

The final count stands: Netanyahu bloc 53, opposition including Arab parties 67.

Coalition outlook: Ynet reports that political figures expect Gadi Eisenkot to get the first chance to form a government. It says Haredi demands for a draft exemption and friction among his partners could trap him, while Netanyahu keeps the unity option open (via Ynet on X).

3 PM CT update, Oct. 29

100% counted; blocs unchanged

The Jerusalem Post says 100% of the vote is counted, with Likud the largest party. The blocs are unchanged at 53 for Netanyahu's bloc and 67 for the opposition including Arab parties. Official results come Wednesday, Nov. 4 (via Jerusalem Post on X).

Likud alleges "Ra'amgate." Officials say there is no evidence of widespread fraud

This is Likud's allegation. Likud called what it terms "Ra'amgate" an "earthquake" and said the election was "stolen." AFNS saw the statement via an unofficial repost, not an official Likud account (via repost on X).

• Police and the elections committee say there is no evidence of widespread fraud (via Jerusalem Post on X; Kan News on X).
• Din Livneh, the committee's acting director, told Kan that people are "trying to cast doubt on the results before there even are results" (via Kan News on X).

Abbas doubts a minority Eisenkot government

Channel 12 reports that Ra'am's Mansour Abbas told party members a minority Eisenkot government propped up from outside by Arab parties would be weak or impossible (via Times of Israel on X).

A Hebrew University poll found that 61% of opposition-bloc voters support an Eisenkot-led government that includes Ra'am (via Times of Israel on X; Jerusalem Post on X).

Also in Israel

• Security probe: Kan reports a senior civil servant in a sensitive role was questioned in a security affair and released to house arrest. No other details have been published (via Kan News on X).
• UNVERIFIED: strike in northern Gaza City. Palestinian and OSINT accounts say an Israeli strike hit an al-Madhoun family residential building near Ahmed Yassin Street, reportedly after an evacuation warning (via Quds News Network on X; MOSSADil on X). There is no IDF statement and no casualty figures yet.
• Boulder attacker pleads guilty: Mohamed Sabry Soliman pleaded guilty to 12 counts, including hate crimes, for the June 2025 firebombing of a hostage march in Boulder, Colorado, that killed 82-year-old Karen Diamond. He admitted targeting marchers because they were Jewish or Israeli (via Kan News on X).

1 PM CT update, Oct. 29

No new vote numbers. The completed count from 11 AM stands: Netanyahu bloc 53, opposition including Arab parties 67.

Eisenkot accuses Likud of trying to delegitimize the vote

This is Eisenkot's accusation. After meeting Shin Bet chief David Zini and elections committee chair Justice Noam Sohlberg, Gadi Eisenkot released a video (via i24NEWS on X; ILTV News on X).

• On the probe: he said it's "too early to understand what happened" and that investigators must work without political interference.
• The charge: he accused Netanyahu and Likud of an "orchestrated and organized campaign to delegitimize the election results."
• The swearing-in: he vowed not to let the Knesset swearing-in slip "by a centimeter."
• Legislation: Kan reports he is preparing legislation on this (as relayed in the posts above).

Barak Ravid (Axios) also reports that Netanyahu is trying to delegitimize the results after losing his majority (via Barak Ravid on X).

Opposition talks: Eisenkot meets Bennett

Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett met Thursday evening, Israel time, at Bennett's home in Ra'anana to discuss forming the next government "as quickly as possible" (via i24NEWS on X). Separately, Yair Golan met Ra'am's Mansour Abbas again about a possible partnership (via Jerusalem Post on X).

Route 4 Haredi draft protest: three officers hurt

Police say three officers were hurt at an ultra-Orthodox protest on Route 4 (via Kan News on X). Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked the police commissioner, saying he is "trying to please Yair Golan" (via Kan News on X).

Gallant calls for a unity government

Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged a broad "Jewish, Zionist national unity government." He warned against a coalition that depends on parties that don't recognize Israel as the Jewish nation-state (via Jerusalem Post on X).

Also in Israel

• Soldier charged with spying for Iran: an IDF soldier arrested in September after a joint Shin Bet investigation has been charged with carrying out espionage tasks for Iran in exchange for cryptocurrency (via Emanuel Fabian, Times of Israel, on X).
• UNCONFIRMED: possible Hebron pullback. The IDF may leave or scale back this weekend in the Hebron neighborhood it has held since last weekend (via Jerusalem Post on X). This has not been confirmed.

11 AM CT update, Oct. 29

Counting is complete. The deadlock is unchanged

The Central Elections Committee says counting is done. With about 99% entered, the blocs are unchanged (Haaretz live; ynet live, Hebrew):

• Netanyahu bloc: 53 seats
• Opposition, including Arab parties: 67 seats. This is the same split as the earlier 53-48-19: the Eisenkot bloc's 48 plus the Arab parties' 19.

Seats by party: Likud 27, Yashar 21, Together 12, Joint List 11, Ra'am 8, Democrats 8, Otzma Yehudit 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 7, UTJ 7, Shas 6, Religious Zionism 6.

Threshold: the Reservists list missed the threshold.

What's next: official results come Wednesday, Nov. 4, after a final election-integrity review.

Unnamed sources: UTJ open to backing Eisenkot from outside

This is based on unnamed sources. A senior UTJ source told Channel 12 that the party would abstain to support an Eisenkot minority government from outside the coalition. The condition is a law exempting yeshiva students from the draft. The source said UTJ's alliance with Netanyahu "has been exhausted" (Ynetnews; Times of Israel).

Eisenkot backs universal service, so the two sides are far from a deal.

Shin Bet: the probe rests on its own intelligence

• The Shin Bet: its interference probe rests on its own intelligence, not material from any party. It says the probe does not implicate a community that voted legally (Haaretz live, citing Reuters).
• Netanyahu and Likud: they are still using the probe to argue against partnering with Arab parties (Haaretz/Reuters; Guardian live).
• Qatar: Qatar called the claims "ridiculous and dangerous" (Haaretz/Reuters; Guardian live).

9 AM CT update, Oct. 29

The count: Likud up a seat, blocs unchanged

At about 97.3% counted, Likud gained a seat to 27 and Shas dropped to 6. The bloc balance is unchanged at 53-48-19 (via Kan News on X; Jerusalem Post on X).

Vote-buying probe grows to seven arrests. These are allegations

• Arrests: four more suspects were arrested, including three Bedouin school principals, in the alleged cash-for-Ra'am-votes case in the Negev. That brings the total to seven (via Ynet on X).
• Released: Kan says this morning's four were later released to house arrest (via Kan News on X).
• Likud's next step: Likud is preparing to seek revotes at some Arab polling stations (via Ynet and Kan News on X).

These are allegations, and the suspects have not been convicted.

Officials call the fraud claims baseless

• Elections committee: the committee's director says the claims of widespread fraud appear baseless and the vote was lawful (via Times of Israel on X).
• Police: a senior police official called them "baseless spin" (via Haaretz on X).

Qatar denies interfering

Qatar "categorically" denies interfering and says it won't be a "scapegoat" for Israeli politicians (via i24NEWS on X; Ynet on X). Kan reports that elections chief Justice Sohlberg met Eisenkot on Wednesday over the interference suspicions (via Kan News on X).

Opposition talks

Kan reports that Ra'am's Mansour Abbas met Democrats chair Yair Golan, and that Ra'am is willing to recommend Eisenkot (via Kan News on X). Golan then met Yair Lapid to coordinate (via Jerusalem Post on X).

Haredi protest on Highway 4

Ultra-Orthodox protesters blocked Highway 4 near Bnei Brak over the arrest of a draft deserter, and police closed the road (via Jerusalem Post on X).

Strike at Al-Maghazi in Gaza (updated 11 AM CT; not yet confirmed by wire services)

Not yet confirmed by wire services. According to an X story summary, the IDF confirmed it struck a vehicle at the entrance to Maghazi camp. Palestinian sources say two men were killed (via X story summary).

Update, Oct. 29, 7 AM CT: deadlock holds as the count nears its end

The count

• Counted (7 AM CT): about 96.1% of the vote, including more than half of the roughly 400,000-500,000 double-envelope ballots. 233,815 of them have been counted so far (ynet; Globes; Israel National News).
• Blocs unchanged: Netanyahu bloc 53, Eisenkot bloc 48, Arab-led parties a record 19. At 96.1%, Likud had 26 seats and Eisenkot's Yashar 21; at 97.3%, Likud has 27 (Kan News and Jerusalem Post on X).
• Still moving: the Reservists list of Yoaz Hendel and Zelikha looks set to miss the electoral threshold. At 97.3%, Likud gained a seat and Shas fell to 6 (Kan News and Jerusalem Post on X).
• Timing (7 AM CT): the count was expected to finish Thursday afternoon or evening Israel time. Official results go to President Herzog next Wednesday.
• Why it matters: on these numbers, neither side has a path to 61 without breaking a campaign promise.

Fraud claims go to the Shin Bet. They are unproven

These claims are unproven. Police and a committee official say there is no evidence of fraud (Guardian live).

• The request: the Central Elections Committee asked the Shin Bet to look into foreign-interference claims, which allege Qatari money was used to mobilize Arab voters. The committee wants findings within a week, ahead of the Nov. 4 certification deadline (AP via the Guardian).
• The briefings: Shin Bet chief David Zini briefed Netanyahu and Eisenkot separately (via i24NEWS on X). The Jerusalem Post reports the suspicions involve foreign entities, possibly Qatar and Turkey, funding Arab turnout (via Jerusalem Post on X). Barak Ravid reports the probe began days ago, based on pre-election intelligence (via Barak Ravid on X).
• Unnamed sources: unnamed sources told i24NEWS the affair is smaller than it looks. That is anonymous sourcing.
• Ben-Gvir called for the arrest of Arab party leaders. Smotrich said they should be questioned by the Shin Bet (Guardian live). AFP reports Netanyahu's bloc is pressing Arab leaders over the funding claims (via AFP on X).
• Herzog said the claims must be investigated, but warned against "tarnishing an entire community" (Guardian live).
• Eisenkot said the new Knesset must be sworn in on time. He accused Netanyahu of an "influence operation" to delay the results using claims that haven't been investigated (via Barak Ravid on X).
• Yair Golan called it a "delegitimisation campaign" (Guardian live).

UNVERIFIED: a unity deal floated by Netanyahu's camp

This comes from anonymous briefings. No talks have been confirmed.

• The briefing: people close to Netanyahu are briefing reporters on a national unity government with Eisenkot, first reported by Maariv. Under the idea, Netanyahu would serve about two years and then rotate out, or Eisenkot would get a senior ministry instead. Haredi parties might be left out at first (Jerusalem Post; Israel National News). Eisenkot hasn't shown any willingness.
• Channel 14: Channel 14 separately reported that Herzog was brokering a rotation-plus-pardon deal (Anadolu). Herzog's office called that "a complete lie."
• In public: Netanyahu told Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, "we are together and we are staying together" (Times of Israel).

Liberman rules out more partners

Avigdor Liberman says he won't sit with Netanyahu, Ahmad Tibi, Hujirat, Aryeh Deri or Yitzhak Goldknopf, "not directly and not indirectly." The only coalition he would consider is an all-Zionist one, including a Likud without Netanyahu (via Amichai Stein on X).

ANALYSIS: Amichai Stein reads this as ruling out outside Arab support for an Eisenkot government, which in effect points toward new elections. That is his reading, not a decision.

Opposition talks

• Golan meets Eisenkot and Lapid on Thursday (Guardian live).
• Joint List: it won't join a government, but could back an Eisenkot minority government from outside.
• Ra'am: Mansour Abbas says he would join one.

Coalition scramble and talk of a repeat election

• Netanyahu's first meetings: Netanyahu held his first post-election coalition meetings with Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, with Haredi party leaders next (ynet via X).
• Speakership: the opposition is preparing its bid to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (ynet; see below).
• Outreach: ynet reports that senior Likud ministers are pushing for talks with Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, both former Netanyahu allies (via Ynetnews on X).
• Liberman goes silent: Channel 12 reports that Avigdor Liberman, whose party is projected to win about 7 seats, has largely stopped talking to his opposition partners and is not taking calls from Eisenkot or Bennett (via Times of Israel on X). He still says he won't join a Netanyahu government or back a minority government that relies on Arab parties.
• Skipped calls: ynet also reports that Netanyahu skipped his usual election-night calls to the leaders of his own bloc's parties.
• Repeat election: Haaretz analysts now say another election looks likely (via Haaretz on X). President Herzog has urged the parties to avoid one (see below).
• Joint List offer: ynet reports that the Joint List is offering to help form a government without Netanyahu by backing Eisenkot from outside a coalition, without joining it. Eisenkot's bloc hasn't answered (via Ynetnews on X).
• Rallies: Haaretz reports that hundreds demonstrated across Israel for a coalition that includes Arab parties (via Haaretz on X). Later on Oct. 28, Haaretz reported that hundreds rallied in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, chanting for "a Jewish-Arab government now" (via Haaretz on X).

Eisenkot speaks

In his first remarks since election night, Eisenkot said his bloc is focused on forming a "Zionist government committed to national service." He said voters rejected "the Oct. 7 government" and added, "we will succeed" (via i24NEWS and Amichai Stein on X).

ANALYSIS: who gets the first try

This is analysis, not a decision. Amichai Stein passes on an assessment that President Herzog may give Eisenkot the mandate first if the Arab parties back him. Stein also says Netanyahu's associates report that Netanyahu does not want to try first (via Amichai Stein on X). Herzog has said his consultations come after the official results.

Likud alleges fraud. Police say no evidence supports it

For the Oct. 29 Shin Bet request, see the update above.

These are unproven allegations. Israel Police say no investigative or intelligence evidence supports Likud's claim that the Arab parties stole the election (via i24NEWS on X). No evidence has been made public, and no authority has found fraud. A Central Elections Committee official dismissed the fraud claims earlier on Channel 12 (Times of Israel).

Netanyahu's Likud party claims the Arab parties "stole" the election. It alleges bribery, threats, violence, forgery and illegal voter-mobilization software (Times of Israel; Amit Segal on X).

• The request: Likud wants police and the Shin Bet to investigate.
• Its material: it says it is handing over "hundreds of testimonies." They include claims of cash envelopes with Ra'am ballots, double voting, and mismatches in envelope counts.
• The committee's response: the elections committee says it is reviewing all the fraud claims. It has not backed them, and Likud has still not shown proof publicly (Times of Israel on X).

Where the count stands

The Central Elections Committee says counting is complete. With about 99% entered, the results are (Haaretz; ynet):

• Netanyahu bloc: 53 seats, eight short of the 61 needed for a majority
• Opposition, including Arab parties: 67 seats. That is the Eisenkot bloc's 48 plus the Arab parties' 19, a record
• By party: Likud 27, Yashar 21, Together 12, Joint List 11, Ra'am 8, Democrats 8, Otzma Yehudit 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 7, UTJ 7, Shas 6, Religious Zionism 6
• Missed the threshold: the Reservists list

The bloc totals are unchanged from the earlier partial counts, at 85%, 92.9%, 96.1% and 97.3%. These results are not official until Wednesday.

The trend: overnight, at about 42% counted, Netanyahu's bloc was as high as 57 seats. It has slipped since, while Eisenkot's side and the Arab parties have gained.

The count, and what's next

• Double-envelope ballots: these come from soldiers, police, diplomats and others. On Oct. 28, the Central Elections Committee estimated 430,000-480,000 of them, worth roughly 12 seats (Times of Israel). As of Oct. 29, 233,815 have been counted, more than half of the total (ynet; Globes).
• Finish: the Central Elections Committee says counting is complete (Haaretz; ynet).
• One reporter's estimate (earlier): an i24NEWS correspondent had estimated the ballots could shift the results by up to 10 seats. In the completed count, the blocs did not change (Haaretz; ynet).
• Official results: due Wednesday, Nov. 4, after a final election-integrity review. President Isaac Herzog said he expects them next week.
• Coalition talks: AP says weeks of talks could lie ahead.

Herzog urges parties to avoid a repeat election

In his first comments since the vote, Herzog urged the parties to avoid another election. He asked them to come to coalition talks "with an open mind." He said he expects official results next week, with his consultations on who forms the government to follow (Times of Israel).

AFP also reports that Herzog hopes to avoid a second election after the vote produced no clear winner (via AFP on X).

Protest in Jerusalem: AFP reports that protesters gathered near the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, calling for an end to the war in Gaza (via AFP on X).

Turnout and the EU

Turnout was 77.7%, the highest in more than 25 years.

The European Union congratulated Israel. It praised the nearly 78% turnout as a sign of a "vibrant democracy" and said it looks forward to working with the next government (Times of Israel).

Katz hits back at Eisenkot

On election night, Eisenkot appealed to Israel's security chiefs to "stand firm against any attempt to pressure you." Defense Minister Israel Katz called the appeal undemocratic. The exchange comes amid reports that the IDF chief resisted a push for strikes on Iran before the vote (Times of Israel). AFNS has not confirmed those reports.

The Arab parties are the swing question

Without Arab party support, the anti-Netanyahu bloc can't reach 61 on the current numbers. Neither side can form a government without breaking a campaign promise or bringing in an unlikely partner.

• Netanyahu called it "forbidden" to form a government that relies on Arab parties (Times of Israel).
• Eisenkot has said he sees no Arab party that accepts his conditions. They include recognizing Hamas as a terrorist group that must be dismantled (Times of Israel; i24NEWS analysis).
• Joint List chair Yousef Jabareen said anyone who wants to replace Netanyahu "will have to talk to us." He said his party is "ready to pave the way" to oust Netanyahu (Times of Israel).
• Yair Golan is urging a coalition with the Arab parties (Times of Israel).

Netanyahu vs. MK Osama Saadi. In a victory speech, Joint List MK Osama Saadi dedicated the Arab parties' gains to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and called the government fascist. UNVERIFIED (based on an X trending summary): according to the summary, Netanyahu accused Saadi of praising terrorists and warned against any coalition relying on Arab parties. AFNS has not found Netanyahu's own words.

Tibi (secondary account; treat with caution): according to a secondary account summarizing his interview with Lebanon's Al Mayadeen, Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi urged Eisenkot to form a minority government backed by the Arab parties. The account says Tibi expects Herzog to give Eisenkot the first chance, and that a senior opposition figure contacted him about replacing Knesset Speaker Ohana (via Israel News Pulse on X). AFNS has not reviewed the interview.

For background, see the Times of Israel's analysis on the Arab parties as potential kingmakers.

UNCONFIRMED (based on an X trending summary; not independently confirmed): according to the summary, Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas would not call Hamas terrorists in a live interview. It says he accepted the first three of Eisenkot's coalition conditions but refused the fourth, labeling Hamas a terrorist group, while saying he condemns October 7. AFNS has not reviewed the interview.

The opposition moves on the Knesset speakership

According to Channel 12, as reported by the Times of Israel, the Eisenkot bloc wants to use its votes plus the Arab parties' votes to replace Likud's Amir Ohana as Knesset speaker. Oded Forer and Elazar Stern are among the names discussed.

Fake video: Netanyahu was not attacked

A viral clip that claims to show Netanyahu being attacked in Tel Aviv is 2013 footage of Bulgarian politician Ahmed Dogan. No incident involving Netanyahu has been reported (X trending summary).

Markets react

The shekel weakened and the Tel Aviv stock exchange slumped (Times of Israel). On Wednesday, the shekel fell more than 2%, its worst day since October 2023, and the Tel Aviv benchmark dropped 2.5% (Guardian live).

Both leaders claim the mandate

Netanyahu told supporters that Likud is the biggest party and that the right has a "decisive majority among the Jewish public." He vowed to remove the Iranian threat "together with our wonderful friend President Trump" (Times of Israel).

Eisenkot said Netanyahu faces a "larger and stronger Zionist majority" and should leave political life. He also said another election would be "a mistake" (Times of Israel).

AFP reported that both leaders vowed to form the next government.

Trump weighs in

• On Truth Social, President Trump shared a quote saying "the whole tide turned" after he endorsed Netanyahu (Times of Israel).
• To reporters, Trump said the endorsement "helped him a lot" and that the result looks like "a stalemate or a win." He said he has not spoken to Netanyahu yet (Times of Israel; Jerusalem Post).
• To Axios: according to reports quoting an Axios interview, Trump said he first got "horror reports" about Netanyahu's chances, but "he's in pretty good shape now." He also said, "I heard my endorsement made a big difference for Bibi." He was asked whether he would get involved in forming a unity government (via Hindustan Times and Clash Report on X; AFNS has not reviewed the Axios piece itself). Trump did not say where he heard about his endorsement's effect. On the current count, Netanyahu's bloc is eight seats short of a majority.
• Anonymous-source claim: an unnamed U.S. official told i24NEWS that Trump may "see which way the wind blows" and then invite Eisenkot and Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago to close a deal (via i24NEWS on X). AFNS has not confirmed this, and the White House has not announced any such invitation.
• Unconfirmed, based on anonymous sources: ynet cites unnamed sources close to Trump who say he does not want Ben-Gvir, and probably not Smotrich, in the next government. AFNS has not confirmed this, and the White House has not said it publicly.

Other reactions from election night

• Lapid called the result a "total defeat" for Netanyahu (via Amichai Stein).
• Bennett said the opposition is coordinating and that Netanyahu's "coalition of draft-evaders has collapsed" (via i24NEWS).
• Yair Golan said voters "fired Netanyahu and the Likud" (via the Jerusalem Post).
• Mansour Abbas of Ra'am said he hopes to help the opposition reach 61 (via Israel News Pulse).
• The Likud camp did not concede. Sa'ar called opposition celebrations "premature" (via Kan News).

The exit polls, for the record

On election night, the final exit polls were split (Reuters). Kan and Channel 13 had the camps tied at 51–51, and Channel 12 had Netanyahu's bloc ahead 52–49. Exit polls are projections, and the official count above supersedes them.

Why it matters for Americans

The next Israeli government will shape the Iran conflict, where the United States is directly involved. Netanyahu has tied his plans on Iran to President Trump, and Trump has publicly credited his own endorsement with moving the result. For the reported U.S. planning for an Iran campaign after the midterms, see Iran after the midterms. For the Iran war's cost to U.S. taxpayers, see the Oct. 27 briefing.