Yair Lapid, leader of the B’yachad alliance, said on X that the anti‑Netanyahu coalition had won the parliamentary election, even though it fell short of an outright majority.
The bloc secured 67 seats in the 120‑member Knesset, while Netanyahu’s Likud‑led coalition won 53, leaving the former 6 seats short of the 61‑seat threshold needed for a majority.
Lapid noted that three Jewish‑led parties—Yashar, B’yachad, and Yisrael Beytenu—have ruled out joining a government with the Arab Joint List and Ra’am, making a 61‑seat majority more elusive.
Netanyahu has said he will appeal to the ultra‑orthodox parties to bridge the 8‑seat gap, but they have rejected the offer, keeping his path to a majority uncertain.
The coalition will now enter behind‑closed‑door talks, with a confidence vote expected before the end of December, while ordinary voters in Tel‑Aviv report growing anxiety over the political stalemate.