WASHINGTON (October 29, 2026) – Neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, were projected to gain a parliamentary majority. Netanyahu’s bloc (53 seats) nor the opposition coalition (48 seats) have reached the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. Both fall short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset. In addition, the Arab parties have reached 19 seats. These results show that it may take weeks for it to become clear who will be able to form the next government.
For more analysis on these developments, please consider Ned Lazarus, Teaching Associate Professor of International Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Lazarus is an Israel Institute Teaching Fellow and an expert in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Dialogue, Evaluation, and Peace Education. Prior to entering academia, Lazarus served as the Middle East Program Director for Seeds of Peace.
To schedule an interview, please contact Nadia Payne at [email protected] or GW Media Relations at [email protected].
-GW-