Israel: with 99.9 percent counted, Netanyahu bloc has 53 seats, Eisenkot’s 48, Arab parties a record 19

With 99.9 percent of votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc holds 53 of the Knesset's 120 seats, Gadi Eisenkot's bloc 48, and Arab-led parties a record 19, the Times of Israel reports. No bloc has the 61 seats needed for a majority.

In Netanyahu's bloc, Likud has 27 seats, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit seven each, and Shas and Religious Zionism six each. In Eisenkot's bloc, Yashar! has 21, B'Yachad 12, the Democrats eight and Yisrael Beytenu seven. The Joint List won 11 and Ra'am eight; the previous record for Arab parties was 15 seats in 2020.

Exit polls reversed

Exit polls gave Eisenkot's bloc a lead of two to three seats, but the count reversed the balance. The reservists' list fell below the 3.25 percent threshold. Arab voters turned out in record numbers.