Israel: Netanyahu’s bloc remains short of a parliamentary majority

In Israel, preliminary election results showed that incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc remained short of a parliamentary majority as vote counting continued. According to Israeli media reports, 72.4 per cent of ballot boxes had been counted, with Netanyahu’s bloc projected to win 54 seats, against 48 for the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. Arab-led parties were projected to secure 18 seats. The figures are provisional and could change as counting progresses. A total of 61 seats are required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Voters turned out in the highest numbers in decades to give their verdict on Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister who has pushed the country sharply to the right and unleashed a wave of wars in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.results were expected on Thursday.
The shekel weakened around 2% to 3.1185 to the dollar, on track for its ⁠worst day in 16 months, and reversing gains made on Tuesday when data on high voter turnout had raised the ​prospect of a change in government. Tel Aviv's key benchmark stock index fell around 3% .TA125. The stock market had been closed on ​Tuesday.