In brief
The Central Elections Committee reports Israel’s opposition won 67 out of 120 seats, with the Netanyahu coalition holding 53, leaving neither side with a majority. Nearly 97% of ballots have been counted, with the final tally expected on Nov. 4.
Israel’s opposition parties have won 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right‑wing bloc secured 53 seats, according to a vote count released Thursday by the Central Elections Committee. Neither side holds the 61 seats needed for a majority without Arab party support.
According to Xinhua, the opposition’s 67 seats include 48 won by parties aligned with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot and 19 gained by Arab parties.
Xinhua also reported that the count covered about 97 per cent of the ballots released, and that the Central Elections Committee said the final tally would be finalized later on Thursday and officially announced on Nov. 4 after a review.
Haaretz, meanwhile, indicated that 85.6 per cent of votes had been counted in its assessment of the outcome.
Both sources agree that neither Bolsonaro’s (Netanyahu) coalition nor the opposition holds the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120‑member parliament, meaning additional support from minority parties is essential.
The Central Elections Committee noted that a comprehensive review of all ballots, including those from overseas voters, will be completed before the official announcement on Nov. 4.
With the vote count nearly complete, Israeli political analysts anticipate that coalition negotiations are likely to resume in the coming days as parties assess their options for securing the necessary support.