Israel: 84 percent of votes counted, Netanyahu has the most, but lacks a majority

After 84 percent of ballots have been counted, the bloc supporting current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 54 seats, the bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot has 49, and the Arab parties have 17 seats, reports the Times of Israel.

To form a majority government, the winning bloc must secure at least 61 seats in the Knesset, according to the BBC.

Professor Eugene Rogan, director of the Middle East Centre at St Antony’s College (University of Oxford), states that the election results represent “a picture of just how polarized Israeli society actually is.”

In a conversation on BBC radio, Rogan explains that the “demand for change,” advocated by some voters and utilized by the opposition bloc of Gadi Eisenkot, faced the stance of other voters.

They, he says, are “absolutely determined to preserve Netanyahu’s right-wing policies,” which they perceive as “a kind of security guarantee for the Israeli state.”

Asked about the impact of the attacks led by Hamas on October 7, Rogan responds that this too has led to divisions among Israelis.

“Many Israelis see the cost of these endless wars – through the damage suffered by the Israeli economy, the exhaustion of hundreds of thousands of reservists who are repeatedly called up for service, as well as the decline of Israel’s reputation in the international community – and therefore want change,” he said.