After Counting a Third of the Votes: Know the Projected Seat Map in the New Knesset

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported today that so far, 1,605,421 votes have been counted, representing 31.1% of the total. The Likud party is currently the largest with 29 seats, followed by the Yashar party led by Gadi Eisenkot with 20 seats. The Change bloc holds 46 seats, while Arab parties have gathered 15 seats, distributed between the Joint List (11 seats) and the Ra'am party (4 seats).

According to the report, Avigdor Lieberman's Israel Our Home party secured 8 seats, and United Torah Judaism won 9 seats. Meanwhile, Otzma Yehudit, Shas, Democrats, and Religious Zionism each currently hold 7 seats.

Netanyahu spoke early this morning at the Likud headquarters, stating: "This is just a prelude; we will wait for the real results. We must form a strong national right-wing government."

Netanyahu attempted to delegitimize the Change bloc government, which he claimed would rely on "anti-Zionist Arab parties calling for the elimination of the state," adding: "This must not come to pass."

For his part, Yashar party leader and prime ministerial candidate Gadi Eisenkot spoke at his party headquarters after preliminary results were released, saying it would be "a mistake to go to additional elections."

In his speech, Eisenkot said: "Millions of Israelis are tired of the culture of lies. Millions voted for mandatory conscription for everyone. I will work with all my strength to form a Zionist government for mandatory conscription. I assure you that the era of evasion has passed. I will work to represent the entire Israeli people - this is not a victory for one side over another in the country, but a victory for the entire Israeli people."

Eisenkot stated regarding the government he intends to form: "This will be a government committed to recognizing the Jewish democratic state of Israel, committed to the values of the Declaration of Independence, enacting a universal civil service law, and dismantling Hamas."

Eisenkot added: "The era of division and concealment that became part of our lives has passed, and Israel is moving towards a new era of hope, mutual guarantee, and brotherhood," as he put it.