Israel held a crucial election yesterday. Turnout was historic, and Arab-Israeli turnout was also sky-high. The election followed the October 7 attacks, when the race was seen as “make-or-break.” The anti-Benjamin Netanyahu bloc was triumphant as the polls closed, declaring Bibi’s loss and a new era. Arab parties’ representation in the Knesset could be key, as they appear poised to clinch double-digit seats.
Yinon Magal of Channel 14 posts, "A compromise is emerging: Eisenkot will be prime minister until 4 a.m., Bennett will replace him until 8 a.m., and from there Netanyahu will take over for the next four years."
— C14 News | EN (@c14english) October 28, 2026
With both sides vying for 61 seats in the Knesset, the number needed to form a government, those Arab parties could give the anti-Bibi camp heartburn. The problem is that roping them into a coalition could spell political disaster. These parties must meet four benchmarks to be considered coalition partners. They reportedly agree to three, but the fourth isn’t going so well: they need to declare Hamas a terrorist organization.
Gadi Eisenkot set four conditions for any party to join his coalition, one of those conditions is calling Hamas a terrorist organization. Mansour Abbas has already met the first 3 conditions. Tonight, I gave him the opportunity to call Hamas a terrorist organization. He refused.
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) October 28, 2026
Netanyahu and his allies are just seats away from reaching 61. Here’s the count as of this morning.
🔴 Nearly 60% of votes counted: Netanyahu bloc - 56 seats, Eisenkot bloc - 49 seats, Arab parties - 16 seats; still no clear majority
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 28, 2026
🇮🇱 “A one-man campaign.” Channel 14 political desk chief Moti Kastel on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s electoral performance: “After being written off countless times, Netanyahu has done it again, against enormous odds and with God’s help.” Kastel also warned against the formation of a left-wing government supported by parties he described as backing terrorism, citing Israel’s major security challenges. Source: Channel 14 @KastelMoti
— Iris (@streetwize) October 28, 2026
▪️ISRAEL ELECTION UPDATE: With 51.8% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 55 seats, short of the 61 needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Opposition parties are projected to win 65 seats, including 16 for Palestinian parties, according to Haaretz. The figures could shift significantly as counting continues. Exit polls from three main television networks projected around 50 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc and 18-19 for the Palestinian parties.
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) October 28, 2026
We’ll keep you updated.