Israel

Parliament

Political system: Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 17 Sep 2019
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 02 Oct 2019
Timing of election: Early elections
Number of seats at stake: 120
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Voter turnout

Registered voters: 6,394,030
Voters: 4,458,167
Voter turnout: 69.7%

Results

About the election: The second snap elections in just five months were again inconclusive. The Blue and White coalition (co-led by former army chief Benny Gantz and former Minister of Finance Yair Lapid) won 33 seats in the 120-member Knesset, one more than Acting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. All but 17 members of the outgoing legislature were returned to the Knesset. Although the newly elected Knesset held its first session on 3 October, it postponed the speakership elections until the formation of the new government.

Meanwhile, on 25 September, President Reuven Rivlin tasked Mr. Netanyahu with forming a new government. Mr. Netanyahu called for a “broad unity government” inviting the Blue and White coalition to join. The Blue and White coalition did not rule out a coalition with Likud, but said it would not serve in a government headed by Mr. Netanyahu, who was facing possible charges in three corruption cases. On 23 October, the President invited Mr. Gantz to form a government but the latter failed to form a government by the deadline of 20 November. Then, the Knesset failed to elect a new Prime Minister by the deadline of 11 December, triggering the third snap elections in less than one year, due to take place on 2 March 2020.

During election campaigning the major parties continued to focus on conscription of ultra-Orthodox seminary students (who are currently exempted from the draft) into the army. Disagreement over the conscription quota triggered the collapse of the government in December 2018 and the first snap elections in April 2019. The post-election coalition talks failed over the conscription issues, which triggered the second snap elections in September 2019.
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 27.5%

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Blue and White	33
Likud	32
Joint List	13
Shas	9
Yisrael Beiteinu	8
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah)	7
Yemina	7
Labour-Gesher	6
Democratic Union	5

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 92
Number of women elected: 28
Percentage of women elected: 23.3%
Women Directly Elected: 28
Sources: Knesset (02.10.2019)

https://votes22.bechirot.gov.il/nationalresults

BBC

BBC Monitoring

The Times of Israel

The Jerusalem Post

Middle East Monitor

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 92
Total number of women after the election: 28
Percentage of women after the election: 23.3%
First-term parliamentarians: 8
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: 6.7%
Date of the first session: 03 Oct 2019