2026 Knesset Results: Opposition Bloc Claims 65 Seats
Yair Golan argues that including Arab parties gives the opposition a governing majority, challenging Prime Minister Netanyahu to form an alternative coalition.
By James Anderson ·
Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, declared that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc has lost the 2026 Knesset election. Golan stated that the opposition holds a majority of 65 seats when Arab parties are included. He urged political opponents to join these parties in forming a new government.
Golan presented the seat count as a clear mathematical outcome of the vote. He noted that 65 seats exceed the 55 required for a majority in the 120-seat legislature. He described this as the standard operation of Israeli democracy. Golan wrote on Wednesday morning that the result is definitive.
Golan addressed the possibility of Netanyahu forming a Zionist-only coalition. He suggested that such a government must exclude the 16 Knesset members from non-Zionist Haredi parties. Golan argued that the opposition now holds a mandate to build a government of change. He emphasized that this administration would serve all Israeli citizens in partnership with Arab members.
MK Gilad Kariv of The Democrats echoed Golan’s assessment on X/Twitter. Kariv described the morning after the election as a distinct political reality. He observed that the right-wing coalition lost a substantial number of seats. Kariv predicted that the current configuration of the government is likely unable to continue. He noted that hundreds of thousands of voters cast ballots against Netanyahu.
Data from the Central Elections Committee (CEC) supports the projection of a strong showing for Arab parties. The CEC estimates that Ra’am will win six seats and the Joint List will secure 12 seats. This total contributes directly to the opposition’s claimed majority. The opposition bloc, which includes Yashar, B’Yachad, Yisrael Beytenu, and the Democrats, is projected to enter the Knesset with 47 seats. The CEC projects that Golan’s Democrats party will win nine of those seats.
The election results mark a shift in the balance of power within the Israeli parliament. The opposition bloc’s strength depends on its ability to negotiate with the Arab parties. Netanyahu’s camp faces the task of either accepting this coalition or forming a government without the Haredi partners. The CEC data provides the numerical basis for these coalition calculations as the new Knesset prepares to convene.
