Israeli Election Results Leave Parliament Deadlocked as Neither Major Bloc Secures Majority

Israel's Central Elections Committee announced final election results on Friday in Jerusalem, leaving parliament deadlocked after neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the main opposition secured a governing majority.

Netanyahu's right-wing coalition won 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset following Tuesday's vote, while the main opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot captured 48 seats and Arab-led parties secured 19 seats.

Neither major coalition reached the 61 seats required to form a government, setting off weeks of political bargaining among right-wing, secular and Arab-led parties to break the stalemate.

Centrist politician Yair Lapid urged patience during the initial silence following the vote tally, writing on social media, "Now comes the truly hard part," as party leaders weighed their options.

Voter turnout reached 77.9 percent, the highest level in decades, as 5,716,665 eligible voters cast ballots across the country.

Before the final results appeared, Netanyahu and his Likud party claimed without presenting evidence that Arab-led parties had stolen votes with foreign support.

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, who heads the election commission, asked the Shin Bet security agency to examine claims regarding Qatari funds allegedly sent to the Arab party Raam.

Majed Al Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, denied the allegations, saying, "These accusations are ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure."

Dean Livne, acting director general of the election commission, said an intelligence probe "does not affect the final results that will be submitted to the president, nor does it concern any particular sector of the population," NBC News reported.

Left-wing candidate Yair Golan accused Netanyahu of trying to challenge the outcome after failing to win a majority by starting a campaign against Arab voters.

Eisenkot and his allies could theoretically build a majority with the Arab parties, but opposition leaders such as Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman have ruled out working with Arab lawmakers.

Netanyahu's associates have floated proposals for a national unity government with Eisenkot, including potential power-sharing arrangements or senior ministerial posts.

Opposition figures rejected the idea of Eisenkot joining Netanyahu, while Eisenkot himself previously pledged not to serve under the long-standing prime minister.

President Isaac Herzog will receive the certified election results next week and consult party leaders before choosing a candidate to receive 28 days to attempt coalition assembly.