Israel elections, counting completed: Netanyahu block at 53 seats, Eisenkot at 48

In Israel the counting was 100% completed. However, the picture remains without a majority: Netanyahu's bloc maintains 53 seats, Eisenkot's Change bloc 48 seats. Arab parties have 19 seats. The Likud strengthens by one seat and now has 27. Eisenkot's Yashar 21, Bennett-Lapid 12, United Arab List 11, Democrats 8, Ra'am 8, Israel Beiteinu 7, Ben Gvir 7, United Torah Judaism 7, Shas 6, Smotrich's Religious Zionism 6. The Election Commission specifies that the official results will be announced on Wednesday 4 November and that a further check on the integrity of the elections will be carried out by that date. Neither bloc independently reached the 61-seat threshold needed for a majority in the Knesset. Meanwhile, Israeli police have denied Likud claims that the elections were "stolen" by Arab parties.

Herzog: "Avoid another election"

In the next few days, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected to meet Netanyahu and Eisenkot - separately - before the final results are published and the consultations begin - to begin testing the feasibility of a national unity government. Herzog then clarified that "we must do everything possible to avoid another election." Then he added: "I expect anyone who comes here to present themselves with an open mind."

Eisenkot: “I will act for a government of Zionist change and for military conscription"

After the election results were released, Eisenkot declared that "more long days of work await us, but we are focused on the arduous task entrusted to us: bringing change to Israel and establishing a Zionist and military government." Then he added: "This is the will of the people who expressed distrust in the government of the failure of October 7 and the defectors. A bloc that is at the lowest point in its history in twenty years." Party leader Yashar then underlined that he "felt the weight of the responsibility and trust that hundreds of thousands of citizens who believe in the State of Israel and Zionism have given me". And again: "Thanks to you, we have made history: in just one year, we have founded a new pan-Israeli party in Israel that represents a valid alternative to the government. We will face the great challenge that awaits us, we will complete it and we will be successful."

Arrests for electoral corruption

After denying the accusations of the Likud, which in recent hours had denounced "electoral fraud by Arab parties that support terrorism and the elimination of the Jewish state", the police arrested four men in southern Israel on charges of alleged electoral corruption. Interrogations are currently underway at the national anti-corruption unit of Lahav 433. Three other people were arrested on the same charge on election day, October 27, also in the south of the country. In recent hours, a police source had reported that "there is no evidence, neither of an investigative nor intelligence nature, to support the accusations" of Netanyahu's party against the Arab groups. In recent hours, an official from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) had also rejected the complaints of fraud.