UPDATED THU 29 OCT · 01:15 UTCLIVE
WorldHigh

Israeli Election — Netanyahu's Bloc Leads Narrowly, Coalition Unclear

With 98% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats vs. Eisenkot's 48, with Arab parties on 19. Coalition formation is complicated by Liberman refusing to join Netanyahu or support an Arab-party-backed minority government.

What we know

An account on X posts projections at 98% counted: Netanyahu bloc 53, Eisenkot 48, Arab parties 19. Coalition math is murky — another account on X reports Liberman will not join Netanyahu's government nor support a minority government reliant on Arab parties, while another account on X adds Liberman has cut contact with opposition leaders, preferring that Eisenkot join a unity government with Netanyahu instead.

How the story developed

29 Oct · 01:15 UTC

With 98% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 seats vs. Eisenkot's 48, with Arab parties on 19. Coalition formation is complicated by Liberman refusing to join Netanyahu or support an Arab-party-backed minority government.

28 Oct · 08:14 UTC

With 66% of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc holds a 56–48 lead over Eisenkot's bloc, with Arab parties at 16 seats.

28 Oct · 05:14 UTC

Early results from Israel's election show Netanyahu's bloc ahead 57–47 seats over Eisenkot's bloc with 37% of votes counted.

27 Oct · 22:15 UTC

Israeli exit polls show no bloc achieving the 61-seat majority needed to govern. Netanyahu's coalition is stuck at 50, his weakest showing in years, while opposition sits at 52-53 and Arab parties hit a record 17-18 seats.

27 Oct · 15:15 UTC

Israel's election is seeing its highest early voter turnout in 45 years, with 'Bibi fatigue' threatening Netanyahu's grip. Netanyahu is preemptively alleging election theft by Arab parties amid cash-envelope arrest reports.

27 Oct · 08:14 UTC

A political analyst predicts no clear winner in Israel's upcoming election, benefiting Netanyahu via automatic term extension. Separately, 25th Amendment discussion is trending in the US.

26 Oct · 09:14 UTC

Israeli PM Netanyahu proposed using cryptocurrency to bypass potential international sanctions, drawing sharp criticism from 100+ economists including former Bank of Israel officials and Nobel laureates.

25 Oct · 10:13 UTC

The Bank of Israel publicly rejected Netanyahu's idea of using crypto to circumvent sanctions, with Netanyahu signalling he may act against the advice — a rare public central bank vs. PM clash on crypto policy.

24 Oct · 20:14 UTC

The Financial Times reports Israel's central bank has rejected Netanyahu's proposal to use crypto to evade sanctions, a notable intersection of geopolitics and crypto policy.

By the Global Eye 24 desk, with AI assistance. Updated as the story develops. Spot an error? Write to corrections@globaleye24.com.