Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition fails to secure Knesset majority, 53 seats

World Oct 30, 2026

Israel's latest election just shook things up: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition didn't get enough seats to rule on its own.

His Likud party and allies landed 53 out of 120 Knesset seats, falling short of the 61 needed for a majority.

Now Netanyahu faces tough talks to try to build a new government.

Arab-led parties could become kingmakers

While Likud is still the biggest single party, the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party grabbed 48 seats.

The real surprise? Arab-led parties boosted their presence with 19 seats, almost double from last time, and could become kingmakers if they team up with the opposition.

But building these alliances won't be easy, given past political tensions.