Partial results, with more than 66% of ballots counted, showed 56 seats for Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc, 48 for Gadi Eisenkot’s camp and 16 for Arab-led parties in the 120-seat Knesset. The 77.7% turnout was the highest in a Knesset election in 27 years. Financial markets reacted negatively, with the shekel falling 1% against the U.S. dollar, the Tel Aviv 35 stock index dropping 1.8% and government bond yields rising across the curve. Neither camp appeared able to secure the required 61-seat majority, pointing to prolonged coalition talks, decisive influence from Arab and left-wing parties, and potentially another election if no government was formed within the deadline.
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