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Israel

Israel's election deadlock: with nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc has 53 seats and Eisenkot's 48, as Arab parties surge to 19

With nearly all votes counted in Israel's election, Netanyahu's bloc has about 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's bloc about 48 and Arab parties about 19. Neither bloc has the 61 seats needed for a majority, leaving coalition talks deadlocked.

L 48% · C 21% · R 31% · 39 outlets

Left 2 · Centre-left 17 · Centre 8 · Centre-right 6 · Right 6

ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

A rebuke: 'Israeli voters have given Binyamin Netanyahu’s coalition a drubbing' (The Economist); 'Arab parties soar' (i).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Arab parties ‘have woken up’: Israel's uncertain election may deliver surprise kingmakers” (France 24); “Netanyahu bloc leads after half of Israeli votes counted but no majority” (News24).

Right-leaning outlets

Still ahead: 'Netanyahu bloc holds lead, but coalition math remains elusive' (Jerusalem Post); 'coalition deadlock' (Israel Hayom).

Context

The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.

A government in Israel needs the support of at least 61 of the Knesset's 120 members.

  • Knesset seats are allocated by proportional representation with a 3.25% electoral threshold. Elections in Israel
  • Gadi Eisenkot is a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Gadi Eisenkot
  • After an election, the president consults parties and gives a nominee the task of forming a government. President of Israel

Checked 2026-10-29. Links were opened and returned a page that day.

Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 39 rated outlets (L 19 / C 8 / R 12). More coverage

Video

News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.

Left 1

Centre 0

No centre-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.

Right 1

Showing 1 from each side that has one; none found from the centre.

YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts

Deep dive

The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.

Seen from the left

“Why Arab parties may not be the ‘kingmakers’ in this Israeli election” Al Jazeera

A possible reading: Arab parties' gains make them a potential kingmaker and test whether they can be part of a governing majority.

May be protecting: ending Netanyahu's rule and including Arab citizens.

Seen from the right

“Israel’s Inconclusive Election Hands Netanyahu Another Win” Daily Wire

A possible reading: neither bloc has a mandate, and the deadlock risks yet another election unless one side compromises.

May be protecting: stability and a government without Arab parties.

What they agree on

With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc has about 53 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's bloc about 48 and Arab parties about 19. Neither bloc has the 61 needed for a majority. Both want to avoid yet another election.

Where they truly differ

Whether the opposition can or will rely on Arab parties to govern is the open question.

The paradox

The opposition has a majority on paper but perhaps not one it is willing to use.

Open questions

  • Which parties could switch blocs to reach 61?
  • Would any bloc rely on Arab parties' support, and on what terms?
  • What terms, if any, would let a government include Arab parties and still be trusted by Jewish voters?

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (36 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
HaaretzLeftAccording to the Financial Times, Haaretz does not report its earnings. They were also the first Israeli paper to introduce the paywall. For subscription fees, please see here. source
HuffPostLeftHuffPost is owned by BuzzFeed, Inc., a publicly traded digital media company based in New York. In November 2020, BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost from Verizon Media Group, with Verizon becoming a minority shareholder. In February 2021, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti took charge of the combined properties. source
Al JazeeraCentre-leftAl Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source
Associated PressCentre-leftThe Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source
AxiosCentre-leftCox Enterprises, a significant media conglomerate in the U.S, primarily own Axios. The outlet generates revenue primarily through advertising, native content, and sponsored newsletters. Unlike some outlets, Axios does not rely on subscription fees, allowing its content to remain widely accessible. source
BloombergCentre-leftMichael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source
Deutsche WelleCentre-leftThe German government funds Deutsche Welle (DW). They state, “DW is financed via funding from the state – i.e., from tax revenue. This is in contrast to the domestic public channels, which are funded via broadcasting fees.” source
EuronewsCentre-leftEuronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source
NBC NewsCentre-leftNo ownership data found
NPRCentre-leftAccording to a Columbia Journalism Review article dated 2010, a large portion of NPR’s revenue comes from dues and fees paid by Member stations and corporate sponsorships. In another article by Columbia Journalism Review, they state that as of 2017, NPR receives less than 1 percent of its total funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting(CPB). source
New York TimesCentre-leftThe Ochs-Sulzberger family controls the New York Times through Class B shares. Since 1967, the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYT. Class B shares are those that are held privately. source
PoliticoCentre-leftOn 8/26/2021, German publisher Axel Springer purchased Politico for a reported 1 billion dollars. Axel Springer owns numerous publications, including Bild, Business Insider, and Fakt. Politico has a subscription-based service called Politico Pro, launched in 2010 for professionals, such as lobbyists and analysts, which provides policy intelligence coverage on technology, energy, and other sectors. source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
Times of IsraelCentre-leftThe Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source
Washington PostCentre-leftIn 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “ Delivery Boy. ” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. source
Ynet NewsCentre-leftYedioth Ahronoth owns Ynetnews. Advertising derives revenue. source
i (inews)Centre-leftDMG Media owns iNews, which publishes the Daily Mail and The Metro. Advertising, sponsored content, and subscriptions generate revenue. source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
Financial TimesCentreThe Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source
France 24CentreFrance 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source
News24CentreMedia24 owns and publishes News24.com. They publish several magazines, newspapers, and online publications in South Africa. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue. source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
The ConversationCentreThe Conversation websites are held by the not-for-profit educational charity owned by The Conversation Trust. The Conversation is funded by the university and research sector, government, and business..push({}); source
The EconomistCentreThe Economist is owned by the Economist Group, which is a British multinational media company. They are primarily owned by the Cadbury, Rothschild, Schroder, Layton, and Agnelli families. Subscriptions, advertising, and sponsored content generate revenue for the Economist. source
The HillCentreIn 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
Jerusalem PostCentre-rightIn 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source
NewsweekCentre-rightNewsweek is owned by Newsweek Publishing LLC, which is co-owned by Dev Pragad and Johnathan Davis. Newsweek is funded through a paid subscription and advertising model. source
Wall Street JournalCentre-rightIn 2007, The Bancroft family and relatives sold the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch for 5 billion dollars. Rupert Murdoch also purchased its parent company, Dow Jones & Co., through News Corporation. Subscriptions and advertising fund the Wall Street Journal. source
Washington TimesCentre-rightOperations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source
BreitbartRightAfter the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source
Daily WireRightBentkey Ventures, LLC (formerly Forward Publishing, LLC) owns the Daily Wire, which was heavily backed and co-founded by fossil fuel billionaires Farris and Dan Wilks. The platform generates revenue through a hybrid model combining premium digital subscriptions via DailyWire+, targeted advertising, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. source
Fox NewsRightRupert Murdoch is the owner and a board member of News Corp 21st Century Fox. According to Reuters, James Murdoch (son) was chief executive of 21st Century Fox and left in May 2018. L achlan (the other son of Murdoch) and Rupert Murdoch will serve as the new Fox co-chairman. source
Israel HayomRightIsrael Hayom is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, an American businessman and casino tycoon. He was also one of the largest donors to the Republican Party. His wife Miriam Adelson is the publisher of the paper and also a prominent Republican donor. source
The SunRightThe Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source
Jewish NewsNot ratedNo ownership data found