66.3% of votes counted in Knesset elections, Netanyahu bloc weakens to 54 seats

Official results: With 66.3% of the votes counted (3,758,580 votes), Likud is the largest party with 27 seats, followed by Yashar! with 21 and Beyachad with 11. Netanyahu’s bloc has 54 seats, while Eisenkot’s bloc has 48.

Meanwhile, the Democrats and Yisrael Beytenu have 8 seats each; United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit and Shas have 7 seats each; and Religious Zionism-Zehut has 6 seats.

The Arab parties have a combined 18 seats – the Joint List with 12 and Ra’am with 6.

Netanyahu spoke overnight at Likud headquarters, saying: “This is only the beginning; we will wait for the official results.”

Netanyahu refrained from declaring victory but called for the establishment of a strong national right-wing government.

“Two things have become clear here. The first is unequivocal: Likud is the largest party in Israel. The second thing that has become clear is that the right-wing bloc has a clear, decisive majority among the Zionist public, among the Jewish public, and among all those who support a Jewish state. That is what has become clear – a decisive majority.”

Earlier, Yashar! chairman and prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot also addressed supporters at his party headquarters, saying it would be “a mistake to go to another election.”

“It can already be determined that Netanyahu finds himself tonight facing a larger and stronger statesmanlike Zionist majority,” Eisenkot said. “A worthy leader would accept the people’s vote of no confidence and announce today his retirement from political life. In an election with such a high voter turnout, it would be a mistake to go to another election.”

In his speech, Eisenkot addressed the heads of Israel’s security establishment, telling them that Netanyahu is the head of a transitional government without a mandate and without public confidence.

“You serve the state,” Eisenkot said, warning Netanyahu against using Israel’s security for his political needs.

Please take a moment and join others who are praying for Israel at this very moment by adding your light on the live prayer map with a simple click at prayforisrael.live.