Despite the October 7 massacre, despite the calls against the right-wing bloc and the chareidi parties, and despite the indictments against his adviser, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party received more votes in the current election than it did in the 2022 race.
Four years ago, Likud won 1,115,336 votes. In the current election, according to the Central Elections Committee, the party received 1,121,743 votes. The count of double-envelope ballots has not yet been completed but is in its final stages.
The gain in votes, however, was not enough to secure a governing majority: the right-wing and chareidi bloc fell short of the 61 seats needed to form a coalition, marking a significant shift in the political map since the last election before the war.
