2 publishers · first seen Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:24 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:58 UTC
In Israel's recent election, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party won 27 seats, according to mainstream outlets, but lacks a clear path to the 61-seat majority needed to form a government. The opposition Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 21 or 22 seats, and the Arab-Israeli electorate achieved a record turnout of 78.8 percent, giving the Netanyahu bloc an estimated 53 seats and the opposition 49. No party has a clear majority, increasing pressure for a unity government, possibly with a rotating premiership. Meanwhile, settler violence continues in the West Bank, where Yedidya Cohen has repeatedly approached the home of Palestinian activist Shaima Kaabneh in Taybeh. Kaabneh, who cannot vote in the Israeli election, expressed hope for change, as the election results may influence the future of settlement policies led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich has advanced plans for annexing 82 percent of the West Bank and has overseen the expulsion of 42,322 Palestinians.
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