Israeli Elections: What Happens if Neither Bloc Wins a Majority?

Israel’s election could leave rival political camps without enough seats to form a government, making coalition negotiations decisive in determining whether Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power.

Coalition governments have been a feature of Israeli politics since the state’s founding. A bloc falling short of a majority would need to secure support from parties outside its existing alliances, with negotiations potentially reshaping the political landscape.

The president’s role would be to consult parliamentary parties and task a candidate with forming a government. Winning the most seats would not, on its own, guarantee that a party’s leader becomes prime minister: the ability to assemble sufficient parliamentary support is crucial.

For Netanyahu, the central question would be whether he could build a viable coalition. A deadlock would not automatically remove him from office, as an incumbent government can continue in a caretaker capacity while efforts to form a successor proceed.

If those efforts ultimately failed, another election could follow. The immediate result would therefore be only the opening stage of a broader contest over alliances, parliamentary backing and who can govern.