• Netanyahu’s bloc leads with 53 seats, Eisenkot’s camp trails with 48
• Arab parties surge to record 19 seats, emerge as potential kingmakers
• Incumbent prime minister may stay on as caretaker amid looming Iran showdown
• Herzog pushes for unity to avert fresh polls

JERUSALEM: Results from Israel’s hard-fought parliamentary election pointed on Wednesday to political deadlock with no clear winner, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Gadi Eisenkot scrambling for power while Arab parties emerged as potential kingmakers.

With more than 85pc of ballots counted following Tuesday’s vote, Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc led with a projected 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot’s broad opposition bloc trailed with 48 seats, leaving both camps well short of the 61-seat threshold required for a governing majority.

In an unprecedented development, parties representing Israel’s Arab minority surged to a projected 19 seats amid record turnout among Arab citizens. The bloc’s historic gains mean Eisenkot has virtually no path to power without their backing, a prospect most Jewish political leaders have long rejected.

Yousef Jabareen, head of the leftist Arab-majority Joint List, insisted that any coalition seeking to replace Netanyahu’s government must negotiate with Arab lawmakers.

While ruling out formally joining a coalition under current wartime conditions, Jabareen signalled openness to offering outside ad hoc support to enable an opposition-led minority government.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s Likud party accused the Arab lists of having “stolen” the election, alleging voter fraud and illicit software use without immediately presenting evidence.

The stalemate may leave Netanyahu as caretaker prime minister with substantial authority, including during a looming military showdown with Iran. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot indicated that renewed joint strikes alongside the United States may be imminent.

Netanyahu told supporters Israel has a “singular historical opportunity” alongside US President Donald Trump to “forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran.”

Trump, who claimed his endorsement aided Netanyahu, stated that the US would not take military action until after next week’s congressional midterm elections.

The situation sparked fierce domestic security clashes. Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, warned top security officials that Netanyahu is a caretaker leader “without a mandate” and cautioned him against using national defence for political survival.

“Stand firm in the face of any attempt to challenge you,” Eisenkot said. “Netanyahu, do not dare use Israel’s security for your political needs.”

Defence Minister Israel Katz swiftly fired back on social media platform X, dismissing Eisenkot’s appeal to the defence brass as “an anti-democratic statement detached from reality”.

President Isaac Herzog must now decide which leader to task with forming a government, though both camps face enormous hurdles.

Herzog urged politicians to maintain an open mind to prevent yet another snap election. If coalition talks collapse in the coming weeks, Israel faces the prospect of prolonged governance by Netanyahu’s caretaker administration followed by a repeat election next year.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2026