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Israel Election Deadlock Leaves Netanyahu Bloc 8 Seats Short
Who won the Israel election?
Israel's election left Netanyahu's bloc at 53 seats and Eisenkot's at 48 on Wednesday, both short of 61, and the shekel fell over 2% to 3.12 per dollar on the deadlock.
Key numbers
| Netanyahu bloc seats | 538 short of 61 |
|---|---|
| Eisenkot bloc seats | 4813 short of 61 |
| Arab parties seats | 19Record; prior high 10 |
| Shekel per dollar (per [3]) | 3.1208Weaker by over 2% |
| TA-35 index, Wednesday | -2.85%Reuters put it at -2.5% |
| Israel 10-year bond yield | About 4.1%+0.05 to 0.06 pts |
What happened
Israel's election left Netanyahu's bloc at 53 seats and Eisenkot's at 48 on Wednesday, both short of 61, and the shekel fell over 2% to 3.12 per dollar on the deadlock. With about 90% of ballots counted, Arab parties are on track for a record 19 seats, nearly double their old best of 10. About 430,000 to 480,000 military and other special ballots are still being counted. Tel Aviv's main stock index fell 2.5% to 2.85% on Wednesday.
Why it matters
Israel's election result matters because neither side can form a government alone, so a stable government may take weeks to put together. The Arab parties, with up to 19 seats, sit outside both blocs, but most other parties have ruled out working with them. Investors dislike this kind of uncertainty because budgets and policy become harder to predict, which is why Israeli stocks and the shekel fell and borrowing costs rose.
Who this affects
- MarketbearishMedium impact
- Israeli stocks and shekel fell; bad for local investors.
- CompanymixedMedium impact
- Likud leads with 26 seats but lacks a majority.
- CompetitorsmixedMedium impact
- Eisenkot's bloc, 13 seats short, also cannot govern alone.
- IndustrymixedMedium impact
- Arab parties gain leverage as possible kingmakers.
Netanyahu Bloc vs Eisenkot Bloc, Arab Parties
| Netanyahu bloc | 53 | 8 | Likud 26, Shas 7, UTJ 7, Otzma Yehudit 7, Religious Zionism 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eisenkot bloc | 48 | 13 | Yashar 21, Beyachad 12, Democrats 8, Yisrael Beytenu 7 |
| Arab parties | 19 | 42 | Joint List 12, Ra'am 7 |
As of 2026-10-28
How we got here
Israel votes; exit polls show no clear winner between the two main blocs.
Count at about 90% shows Netanyahu bloc 53, Eisenkot bloc 48, Arab parties 19.
Tel Aviv stocks slump; TA-35 falls 2.85% as the shekel weakens.
Shekel trades near 3.12 per dollar; special-ballot counting begins.
What to watch
- Count of 430,000–480,000 special ballots could shift final seat totals.2026-10-29
- Official final election results are expected.2026-11-04
- Whether either bloc finds partners, including Arab parties, to reach 61 seats.Coming weeks
Educational content only. Not investment advice.
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