Parlamentswahl: Alle Stimmen ausgezählt: Patt nach Wahl in Israel

The final tally is in from Israel's parliamentary elections, and it is clear that neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition can claim an absolute majority. Benjamin Netanyahu's government coalition secured 53 seats in the Knesset, while the opposition garnered 48 mandates. A parliamentary majority requires 61 seats. The right-leaning Likud party, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, remains the largest party with 27 seats, but has lost five.

The newly formed oppositional Middle Party Jaschar, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, came in second with 21 seats. This results in a deadlock and a difficult process of forming a new government. The Netanyahu bloc previously governed with 64 seats, but has exhausted all realistic coalition possibilities. For Eisenkot's opposition camp to theoretically secure a parliamentary majority, they would need to rely on the support of the Arab parties, which collectively achieved an impressive result with 19 mandates.

However, such cooperation is seen as unlikely due to past escalations in the Middle East conflict. Eisenkot negotiated a coalition with strict conditions, requiring potential partners to pledge allegiance to Israel's Jewish and democratic nature, acknowledge compulsory military service, and classify the Islamist Hamas as a terrorist organization.