Lauge Risom Koch 
Benjamin Netanyahu loses his parliamentary majority, triggering difficult coalition negotiations as Arab-led parties secure a historic 19 seats.
Israel’s final election results confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his parliamentary majority. According to the Associated Press, his political bloc secured 53 seats in the national election held on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the main opposition bloc won 48 seats while Arab-led parties secured a historic 19 seats.
Political parties must now negotiate to form a governing coalition with at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Centrist politician Yair Lapid urged patience while assuring the public that negotiations are happening quietly behind the scenes. President Isaac Herzog will officially task a political leader with forming the new government next Wednesday.
The designated leader could be Netanyahu or another politician deemed best suited to build a coalition. If multiple attempts to form a government fail, the country faces another election early next year. Herzog stated this week that he will do everything in his power to avoid that scenario.
Interference allegations and pushback
Before the final results were announced, Netanyahu and his Likud party amplified unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud. They claimed that Arab-led parties had stolen the election with potential foreign assistance from Qatar. Opposition leaders quickly accused Netanyahu of demonizing the Arab demographic, which makes up 20% of the national population.
Israeli media reported that Likud party members were actively accusing Qatar of orchestrating the alleged electoral interference. Qatar immediately issued a firm denial, calling the interference allegations both ridiculous and dangerous. The acting director general of the election commission also warned that reports regarding the investigation were entirely unfounded.
The Shin Bet security agency clarified that its preliminary investigation was not meant to cast aspersions on democratic voters. The national elections committee also wrote a letter stating that allegations of systematic electoral violations are completely baseless. By casting doubt on the vote, Netanyahu appeared to be attempting to block alliances between his opponents and Arab-led parties.
Future political maneuvers
As coalition negotiations begin, the newly elected Knesset is officially expected to be sworn in on November 10. Once parliament convenes, opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot could join forces with Arab parties to elect a new speaker. This maneuver would give them control over the parliamentary agenda before a new government is officially formed.
Hundreds of citizens have held rallies urging Eisenkot to establish this unprecedented cooperative alliance. However, other political observers predict that Netanyahu and his rivals might form a unity government without Arab representation. Such an inclusive alliance with Arab parties has only happened once before during a brief period in 2021.
If Netanyahu ultimately loses the prime minister’s office, he faces a cascade of significant legal and political challenges. He would be forced to address yearslong corruption allegations in court without executive protections. Furthermore, an official inquiry would almost certainly begin regarding security failures before the devastating Hamas-led attack in 2023.
