Israeli election: Netanyahu claims mandate as Likud trails in party vote
Early projections show Likud winning the most seats, but neither bloc holds a clear majority, forcing a search for coalition partners.
By Megan Parker ·
Voters in Westchester County and across the United States are watching a fragmented political outcome in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a right-wing government is necessary to secure the nation's future. He spoke from his Likud headquarters in West Jerusalem on Tuesday, hours after polling stations closed.
The early seat counts favor Netanyahu's alliance, but the margin is narrow. The Times of Israel projected that more than half of the ballots counted show Netanyahu’s bloc winning 56 seats. Gadi Eisenkot’s alliance is projected to win 49 seats. Neither side has a clear path to a governing majority in the 120-seat parliament.
Likud appears to be the strongest single party, despite a historic decline. Projections from Channels 12 and 13 estimate Likud will win 27 seats. This is fewer than the party won in any election since 2009. Eisenkot’s Yashar party is projected to secure 21 seats, placing it in second place among all parties.
Netanyahu used his address to list military and diplomatic achievements from his current term, which began in 2022. He cited the elimination of senior leaders including Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ali Khamenei. He also mentioned the establishment of security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. Netanyahu stated that Israel and President Donald Trump have a historical opportunity to remove the threat of Iran once and for all.
Analysts suggest the path to power remains difficult. Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador and consul general in New York City, noted that the winning bloc may need an uncomfortable coalition deal. He said opposition voters would likely resist such a pact with Netanyahu’s group. Marwan Bishara, a senior political analyst, argued that Netanyahu projected success to hide the fact that his party is at its lowest level since 2009. Dan Perry, a political analyst, described the speech as an attempt to spin the situation in the party's favor after exit polls were released.
Source: Al Jazeera
