Kathmandu, October 29: More than 90 percent of the votes in Israel’s recent general election have been counted. According to the results so far, no alliance has secured the clear majority of 61 seats required to form a government.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance is leading with 53 seats, while the opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot is ahead with 48 seats. Arab parties are leading with 19 seats. This election has seen the highest voter turnout in the past 30 years, with 77.7 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots.

The unprecedented enthusiasm and participation demonstrated by Israeli voters have been viewed as a strong commitment to democracy. In Tuesday’s election, 77.7 percent of eligible voters exercised their voting rights, the highest turnout in two decades.

Speaking to journalists at his residence in Jerusalem, President Isaac Herzog praised the high turnout. “This is a badge of honour for Israeli society, and it was remarkable to see just how deep the desire for democracy is in Israel,” he said.

President Herzog said he would begin consultations with all political parties once the official results were received next week. “After Tuesday’s historic vote, we must do everything we can to prevent the country from having to go through another round of elections. Therefore, I expect every leader who comes here to do so with an open mind,” he said.

Following his failure to secure a majority, Prime Minister Netanyahu has alleged electoral fraud. His Likud Party has called on the police and Shin Bet to conduct an impartial investigation into the election, claiming that Arab parties stole votes.

The Likud Party issued a statement alleging that electoral fraud had taken place. The statement said, “The elections in Israel have been stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and seek to destroy the Jewish state. This theft was carried out through serious criminal acts, including bribery, intimidation, violence, forgery, and the use of prohibited software to attract voters.”

During the election campaign, Netanyahu’s party had described cooperation with Arab parties as illegitimate.

Likud said it had submitted hundreds of pieces of evidence to the police, Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee. The evidence reportedly includes envelopes containing cash, leaflets from the Ra’am party, incidents of intimidation and violence, and cases of double voting. The party has also alleged that prohibited software was used to transport voters.

Before the 2026 general election, Netanyahu and his right-wing alliance had performed strongly in Israel’s 2022 general election, securing a clear majority of 64 seats. Netanyahu’s own Likud Party emerged as the largest party, winning 32 seats in the 120-member parliament.

Netanyahu formed an alliance with far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious parties, including Religious Zionism, Shas and United Torah Judaism. Together, the alliance won 64 seats, comfortably surpassing the magic number of 61 required to form a government.

Netanyahu’s popularity appears to have declined since the previous general election.

Security Failures on October 7 and the Lack of Accountability

The devastating Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, was the deadliest security failure in Israel’s history.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed in the attack, while 251 others were taken hostage and transported to Gaza.

Netanyahu had spent years cultivating an image as “Mr Security” in Israel. However, his refusal to accept political and moral responsibility for such a massive security failure generated widespread public anger.

According to reports by international media, voters have expressed hope for new leadership. They have said that those who were in power at the time of the October 7 attack should no longer be in office. Ordinary voters are particularly angry that Netanyahu has failed to accept responsibility for the security breakdown.

The Gaza War, Hostage Crisis and Regional Conflict

Following October 7, Israel fought a series of prolonged and costly wars involving Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

As the wars dragged on and the safe return of the hostages was delayed, opposition leaders and the families of hostages accused Netanyahu of prolonging the conflict to preserve his own political survival.

According to a survey conducted by the Institute for National Security Studies in October 2025, 72 percent of Israelis were dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the Gaza war, while 57 percent were satisfied with the military’s conduct.

Although Israeli citizens supported strong military action, many distrusted Netanyahu’s political leadership and strategic intentions.

Even before the October 2023 attack, Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms had pushed Israel into a period of mass street protests and deep political polarisation.

Although the issue was temporarily overshadowed by the war, the government succeeded in passing legislation through parliament in March 2025 to increase its control over judicial appointments.

Another bill, which would allow the Knesset to revive laws struck down by the Supreme Court, was also in the pipeline.

Moderate and liberal Jewish voters became increasingly alienated from Netanyahu, believing that these measures were intended to undermine Israel’s independent judiciary, media and democratic institutions.

Israel has a legal requirement for military service.

However, to retain power and appease his religious coalition partners, Netanyahu continued to support exemptions from military service for young men from the ultra-Orthodox religious community.

At a time when the country was at war, the sons of ordinary citizens were being deployed to the battlefield and losing their lives, while members of a particular community enjoyed full exemptions. This perceived inequality fuelled public anger among ordinary Israelis.

Corruption Cases and the Extremist Character of Coalition Partners

Netanyahu himself is facing corruption and bribery charges in court.

His alliance with far-right and extremist politicians, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to preserve his hold on power has seriously damaged Israel’s international standing.

Ben-Gvir has made extreme statements advocating the annexation of the West Bank, the establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza and even the voluntary expulsion of Palestinians.

According to analysts, these positions have strained Israel’s relations with its traditional allies, while causing moderate and undecided voters at home to withdraw their support for Netanyahu.

The Role of Arab-Led Parties

Alongside the question of who will form Israel’s next government, the performance of Arab-led parties has raised another important issue: Is Israel’s political leadership prepared to recognise elected representatives of Arab citizens as legitimate partners in government?

Consequently, the role of these parties is no longer limited to the arithmetic of coalition-building; it has become closely linked to the future of Israeli democracy.

In this context, Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats Party and a former deputy chief of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), argued on Wednesday that opposition parties should cooperate with Arab parties to form a government of change.

In a post on the social media platform X, Golan wrote, “Netanyahu has already lost. I know how to count to 120—65 is more than 55. That is how Israeli democracy works. We must no longer accept the ethnic and racial divisions Netanyahu seeks to create between Jewish and Arab votes.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already launched a vigorous campaign against the possibility of cooperation with Arab parties. During the election campaign, even his opponents had said they would not join hands with the Arab bloc.

In these circumstances, the formation of a government with the support of Arab parties would represent a major step away from Israel’s exclusionary political approach. However, such a government would also face intense pressure from its own voters.

Meanwhile, according to analyst Tuval, the opposition alliance has failed to completely uproot “Bibiism”, but it has succeeded in preventing Netanyahu from securing a majority.

Tuval said, “The opposition has reduced the Netanyahu alliance from its previous 64 seats to 55 or 56. Netanyahu will no longer be able to do whatever he wants in parliament, the judiciary or the media. The opposition alliance must turn this achievement into a tangible outcome; otherwise, it will prove to be a historic defeat for them.”