Israeli voters face four possible outcomes in the Oct. 27 election, including a minority cabinet or 61-seat coalition, with post-vote talks set to determine the next government.
Ballots go to party lists, not direct candidates for prime minister. The Knesset has 120 seats, and a government with a majority needs support from at least 61 lawmakers. Israel’s first national election since the Hamas-led assault of Oct. 7, 2023, comes after the conflict that followed in Gaza.
NDTV reported, without identifying the polls behind its assessment, that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor challenger Gadi Eisenkot is expected to reach a majority without smaller-party allies.
One scenario NDTV described is a minority cabinet led by Eisenkot or another opposition figure, relying on Arab-party support while keeping those parties outside the formal coalition. That would leave the governing alliance with fewer than 61 Knesset members, NDTV reported.
NDTV, citing The New York Times, described another possible route: an opposition arrangement spanning parties from the center, left and right. NDTV said the groups would need to agree on a prime minister and government policy. Netanyahu’s allies could also combine to reach 61 seats. A deadlock is possible if neither side assembles a governing agreement; NDTV said some right-wing parties may reject cooperation with Arab parties, while other factions could disagree on who should be prime minister.
Knesset election records list five elections from 2019 through 2022; NDTV cited that period as an example of recurring difficulty reaching agreement on a government.
Once the results are published, President Isaac Herzog is to hear from representatives of parliamentary groups and assign an eligible Knesset member who agrees to serve the task of forming a government, according to the Knesset. The lawmaker has 28 days, with possible extensions of up to 14 days, and the proposed government must win the Knesset’s confidence. NDTV said coalition talks could last weeks or months. The first assignment is due within seven days of publication of the results.
