3 publishers · first seen Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:24 UTC · updated Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:22 UTC
Israel's October 27 parliamentary election left no coalition bloc with a majority, as Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-led bloc won 53 of the 120 Knesset seats, short of the 61 needed to form a government. The opposition bloc secured 48 seats, while Arab parties won 19, making them a key political force. With 7.3 million voters, Israel's proportional representation system has led to coalition gridlock, and the President is expected to ask Netanyahu to attempt government formation first. Former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev said bilateral ties with India will remain stable regardless of the outcome, citing strong government-to-government and people-to-people relations.
India and Israel have expanded cooperation in defense, technology, and trade since establishing full diplomatic relations in January 1992. Defense projects include the joint development of the Barak-8 air-defense system and plans for co-producing Iron Dome components in India. Between 2021 and 2025, India accounted for 29 percent of Israel’s arms exports. Bilateral trade reached approximately $3.93 billion in 2025-26, and a free trade agreement is under advanced negotiation.
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