54 Seats Projected for Netanyahu Bloc in Knesset

Preliminary results from the Israeli Central Elections Committee indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc will enter the Knesset with 54 seats. The committee released these figures on Wednesday morning after counting more than four million votes. This total falls short of the 61 seats required to command a parliamentary majority, leaving the path to government formation unresolved.

The opposition bloc is projected to secure 49 seats. This group includes the parties Yashar, B'Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats. Because neither side has reached the necessary threshold, the composition of the next government remains an open question. Exit polls suggest that Arab parties may hold decisive leverage in determining which coalition can form.

Within the right-wing bloc, Netanyahu's Likud party is expected to win 27 seats. United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Otzma Yehudit are each projected to take seven seats. The Religious Zionist Party is expected to win six. Together, Otzma Yehudit and the alliance of the Religious Zionist Party and Zehut are projected to win approximately 13 seats. This combined total could make them pivotal partners in any future government led by Netanyahu, although final seat distribution will depend on the official count.

American sources told the Israeli outlet Walla that President Donald Trump wants the next government to exclude far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. The sources said Trump believes settler violence is undermining his regional vision. His associates have been briefed on the election results, but the president has not yet commented on them publicly.

Two parties failed to cross the electoral threshold in the exit polls: the Reservists' Party and People of Israel. Ofer Winter, the chairman of Amcha Yisrael, also missed the threshold. Sources close to Winter criticized Netanyahu, claiming the prime minister had drained their votes and calling the outcome a strategic mistake. Celebrations broke out at Likud headquarters after the results were published.

Separately, Trump addressed the war with Iran on Wednesday. He stated that the conflict could end whenever he decides, asserting that it will end very quickly but must end the right way. Trump said ending the war requires an absolute and unequivocal declaration that Iran will never have nuclear weapons. He also described Iran as the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world.