Difficult negotiations lie ahead in Israel after Netanyahu’s bloc lost its parliamentary majority

Israel's final election results revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc lost its majority in the Knesset, the country's parliamentary body. The main opposition bloc secured 48 seats, while Arab-led parties won 19 seats, marking a historic showing. This left parties with the task of negotiating and forming a new government with at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.

Centrist politician Yair Lapid expressed the need for patience as the challenging task of forming a coalition began. The opposition parties faced a dilemma: either partner with Arab-led parties or unite with Netanyahu's bloc, which could lead to a potentially divisive unity government. The election results still needed to be certified and submitted to President Isaac Herzog for him to appoint someone to form the new government.

Netanyahu and his Likud party circulated unsubstantiated allegations that Arab-led parties had "stolen" the election, potentially with foreign assistance. This led to accusations against Netanyahu for demonizing the Arab population, which makes up 20% of the country's population and showed up at the polls in record numbers. Netanyahu's assertions that it is forbidden to form a coalition with Arab parties further complicated the situation.

In response to the allegations, the election commission stated that there was no evidence to confirm the claims. They emphasized that the investigation was based on classified intelligence and that it did not concern any particular sector of the population. However, Netanyahu continued to cast doubt on the vote, potentially blocking any alliance between his opponents and the Arab-led parties.

Opposition parties could assert control in the upcoming Knesset, potentially allowing them to advance and pass legislation before a new government is formed.