Israel Election Leaves Netanyahu and Opposition Short of Majority as Unity Government Talk Grows

Israel's election on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, left neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the opposition with a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, and attention turned to a possible national unity government. Exit polls from Channels 11, 12 and 13 projected 52 or 53 seats for the opposition and 50 for Netanyahu's camp. Likud was projected as the largest party with 24 or 25 seats, down from 32 in the last election. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party was projected at 21 to 23 seats, and the two Arab-majority groupings, Raam and the Joint List, at 17 or 18 combined. With more than 90 percent of votes counted, preliminary results pointed to deadlock, and Netanyahu's side was short of the 61 seats needed. Channel 12 reported Wednesday that Avigdor Lieberman, whose Yisrael Beitenu is projected to win seven seats, had stopped taking calls from Eisenkot and former prime minister Naftali Bennett. He has ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led government or one relying on Palestinian-led parties. President Isaac Herzog urged leaders to avoid another election. President Donald Trump told Axios on Wednesday that Netanyahu is in "pretty good shape" and that he would consider helping broker a unity government.

Right-leaning Breitbart leads with Trump, putting his Axios remarks in its headline: he credited his endorsement for helping Netanyahu, mentioned early "horror reports," and did not rule out involvement in talks. It presents Likud as the largest party and the coalition as outperforming polls, and cites Herzog's call to avoid new elections. Seat counts for the opposition and the Arab parties are absent from its excerpt. The Hindu, an alternative source, leads with the exit polls: a narrow opposition edge, Arab-party gains and Eisenkot's pledge of mainstream right-wing support. Middle East Eye focuses on Lieberman's refusal to engage with the opposition, which it ties to avoiding reliance on Palestinian-led parties. Both outlets agree on the deadlock, but they stress opposition arithmetic and maneuvering while Breitbart stresses Netanyahu's resilience and Trump's role. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while right-leaning and alternative outlets had.