Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrate at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem following the release of the first exit poll results in Israel’s general election on October 28, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP
Israel faces a high-stakes political standoff after the October 27 national election, the country’s first vote since the 2023 Hamas attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his chief rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party, have both claimed a mandate to form the next government after exit polls showed their respective camps in a neck-and-neck fight without an outright majority, leaving the outcome dependent on the final seat tally and negotiations with smaller parties.
Proportional representation vs first-past-the-post system
The main difference between Israeli and Indian elections lies in how votes translate into seats. Israel operates under a nationwide system of proportional representation, treating the country as a single voting constituency without separate geographic districts or local MPs. Israelis do not vote for individual candidates. Instead, they cast a single ballot for a closed party list and the 120 seats in parliament, known as the Knesset, are allocated in direct proportion to each party’s share of the national vote.
Meanwhile, India employs a first-past-the-post system (FPTP) across 543 parliamentary constituencies. Indian citizens cast ballots for local candidates in their respective constituencies and whichever candidate secures a majority vote in a constituency wins that seat.
Israel’s coalition dynamics
No single political party has ever won an outright 61-seat majority in Israel’s history. With the exit polls on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) too predicting no outright majority for any bloc, forming a coalition government appears to be their only way to go. To enter the 120-seat Knesset, a political list must clear an electoral threshold of 3.25% of the national vote, which equals roughly four seats. Parties that fall short of this line lose all their votes without representation, making party mergers and alliances pertinent ahead of candidate submission deadlines.
For instance, Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition comprises his own right-wing party Likud, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s pro-settler Religious Zionism and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s far-right Jewish Power.
To form a ruling government in Israel, a coalition must assemble at least 61 seats. This is a requirement that grants small niche factions a disproportionate sway as political kingmakers. If internal divisions cause a minor party to withdraw its support, the entire administration can quickly fall apart. In contrast, Indian political parties frequently build post-poll or pre-poll alliances. Additionally, major national parties in India can and often do win single-party majority mandates without relying on minor regional partners for survival.
In India, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party secured outright single-party majority in back-to-back general elections, winning 282 seats in 2014 and 303 seats in 2019, well above the 272-seat majority mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha. But in the 2024 general elections, the PM Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged only 286 seats, with the BJP winning 240 seats and falling 32 short of the majority mark of 272 seats, prompting a coalition with their allies.
Post-election process, government formation in Israel
After the official results are published, Israel President Isaac Herzog will consult representatives of the elected parliamentary factions before assigning a lawmaker the task of forming a government.
The President generally selects the candidate considered best placed to secure parliamentary support, rather than being required to choose the leader of the largest party.
The first nominee has 28 days to form a government, with the President able to grant extensions of up to 14 additional days. If the attempt fails, another lawmaker may be given an opportunity. If subsequent efforts also fail, the process could lead to another election.
(With inputs from agencies)
Published – October 28, 2026 04:45 pm IST
