Polls open as Netanyahu fights to retain power

The Knesset is Israel’s parliament. Its 120 members represent the country’s voters and help determine who can govern. Israelis are voting because parliamentary elections decide which parties receive seats and whether a political bloc can command a majority.

This election includes 36 electoral lists competing for those 120 seats. Each list seeks enough representation to influence the formation of Israel’s 38th government. Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is seeking to retain power, while opposition rival Gadi Eisenkot is challenging him.

The result matters because Netanyahu’s right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox bloc may win only about 50 seats. That would be below the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. The final seat totals will therefore shape coalition negotiations and determine whether Netanyahu can continue leading the government.

Benjamin Netanyahu is Israel’s incumbent prime minister. He leads a coalition made up of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. In this election, he is trying to retain power after his government completed a full four-year term.

Gadi Eisenkot is described in the article as an opposition rival. He is challenging Netanyahu as Israelis vote in the first parliamentary election since the 7 October 2023 attacks. Their roles frame the election as a contest between the sitting leader and a major opposition challenger.

The outcome depends on seats, not only on which individual attracts attention. Netanyahu’s bloc could receive around 50 seats, below the 61 needed for a majority. If that projection holds, Eisenkot and other opposition parties could become important in efforts to assemble a governing coalition.

The election involves 36 electoral lists competing for 120 seats in the Knesset. An electoral list is a party or political grouping seeking parliamentary representation. The lists are competing to influence the makeup of Israel’s parliament and the formation of its next government.

The 120 seats are the full size of the Knesset. Seats are distributed among the lists according to their election results under Israel’s proportional-representation system. A list’s support therefore affects how many lawmakers it sends to parliament, although the article does not provide the allocation formula.

The large number of lists can produce a fragmented parliament. Netanyahu’s bloc is projected at around 50 seats, even though 61 are needed for a majority. That gap means the final balance among the 36 lists could determine which parties join coalition talks and who forms the 38th government.

A government needs parliamentary backing to govern effectively. In Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, 61 seats represent more than half the chamber. That is why the article identifies 61 as the number required for a parliamentary majority.

For example, a bloc with 61 seats can usually support its government against a bloc with fewer seats. It has enough lawmakers to pass measures requiring parliamentary approval and to sustain political control. A bloc with 60 or fewer seats lacks that guaranteed majority and must seek support elsewhere.

Netanyahu’s coalition could win around 50 seats, according to projections. That would leave it about 11 seats short of the threshold. The bloc would then need agreements with additional parties, while its opponents could try to build a different majority. The seat count, rather than simply the leading party’s position, will decide the government’s strength.

Winning about 50 seats would not give Netanyahu’s bloc control of the 120-seat Knesset. The bloc would fall below the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. That result would make the election inconclusive for government formation, even if Netanyahu’s parties formed the largest bloc.

The key mechanism is coalition building. Netanyahu could negotiate with other lists and seek agreements that bring enough lawmakers to his side. Those parties might join the government or support it on essential votes. Without enough dependable support, a government could struggle to pass measures or remain in office.

The opposition could also attempt to assemble its own coalition. If no side reaches 61, negotiations could determine who forms the 38th government. The article does not state which parties might switch sides or what would happen next, but the projected gap makes post-election bargaining especially important.

A governing coalition forms when several parties agree to work together after an election. They combine their parliamentary seats and usually negotiate shared priorities, ministerial roles and support for a government. This allows parties to govern even when no single list wins a majority.

For example, a bloc with about 50 seats could seek partners holding 11 or more seats. If those partners agree to cooperate, the combined coalition would reach at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. The partners would then support the government in parliament, although they may remain separate parties.

This mechanism matters because the article projects Netanyahu’s bloc at around 50 seats. It could therefore try to recruit additional lists. Alternatively, opposition parties could negotiate among themselves. The eventual government would depend on which groups can agree on enough common ground and maintain majority support.

The article identifies 36 electoral lists competing for 120 Knesset seats, but it does not explain the allocation formula. Under Israel’s proportional-representation system, voters choose party lists rather than individual constituency candidates. Lists that receive more votes generally receive more seats, subject to the system’s legal rules.

For example, if several lists each win meaningful support, the 120 seats are divided among them instead of going entirely to one winner. A list with a larger vote share receives more lawmakers, while smaller successful lists receive fewer. The result reflects the spread of votes across parties and can produce a fragmented parliament.

That fragmentation helps explain the article’s focus on coalitions. Netanyahu’s bloc is projected at about 50 seats, below the 61-seat majority. Because no bloc may control enough seats alone, parties must negotiate after the election to form the 38th government.