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White House hasn’t decided whether to intervene in coalition talks, US official says

Official calls reports that administration prefers any specific coalition 'false and premature' * Trump says he and Netanyahu must 'finish the job' in Iran * Golan to meet with Eisenkot, Lapid tomorrow for coalition talks * Netanyahu speaks with Ben Gvir, Smotrich: 'We are together and we are staying together'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (top left), Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot (top right), Joint List chair Yousef Jabareen (bottom left) and Ra'am chair Mansour Abbas (bottom right) address supporters at their election headquarters on October 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90, Sharon Leibel/Flash90, Michael Giladi/Flash90)

With 90% of votes counted, Netanyahu bloc has 53 seats, Eisenkot’s 48; Arab parties surge to 19

By ToI Staff and Ariela Karmel

Further updates unlikely before Thursday as Central Election Committee turns attention to double envelope ballots and ordinary ballots requiring extra oversight

Joint List chair Yousef Jabareen and supporters gather at the party’s election headquarters in the northern Israeli city of Nazareth, following the closing of polling stations on election night, October 27, 2026. (Sharon Leibel/Flash90)

Analysis

Arab parties emerge as potential kingmakers, presenting Zionist opposition with fateful choice

Despite anti-Netanyahu majority, opposition leaders' refusal to rely on Arab parties could force fresh elections or unity government, either of which would keep premier in power

2026 Israeli elections

The Times of Israel's electoral dashboard. The count is moving into its final stages, but results are still partial and can change

Knesset seat projections over time

Possible coalitions according to the latest poll

*Joint List and Ra'am may support a coalition without formally joining

Where the parties stand on key issues

Analysis

Change bloc alliance with Arabs, unity government, or new election: 3 scenarios for what comes next

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to supporters at the Likud party’s election headquarters in Jerusalem, early October 28, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

With both pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs well short of a majority after tallying of most ballots, analysts dissect the most likely ways forward, some of which would involve party leaders breaking key promises

An Israeli Air Force soldier votes in Israel's national election at IAF headquarters in Tel Aviv, October 27, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Analysis

Last-to-be-counted ‘double envelope’ votes could shift Knesset seats, but not balance of power

Soldiers, prisoners and diplomats have cast 430,000 to 480,000 ballots that are only being counted from Wednesday night, but history suggests they won't break election stalemate

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he arrives on Air Force One, October 28, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Says he'll look at option of pushing for unity government

Trump takes credit for Netanyahu’s election boost after endorsement

By Jacob Magid and ToI Staff

US president says ‘whole tide turned’ after he backed PM, touts ‘big come-from-behind’ as votes continue to be counted, with neither Netanyahu nor opposition bloc reaching majority

Promoted Livestream

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Israel Democracy Institute

Special post-election briefing: understanding Israel’s election results

IDI and ToI experts analyze the most consequential election in Israel’s history, explaining who won, who lost, which scenarios lie ahead, and what is at stake for Israel's future

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Yashar chief Gadi Eisenkot wave to supporters at their respective party campaign headquarters, after the October 27, 2026, election. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Op-ed

Election leaves Israel’s political future uncertain, but Netanyahu still clearly controls its present

Like Shimon Peres 30 years ago, Gadi Eisenkot thought the exit polls meant he'd defeated the Likud leader. Not so fast

Latest Articles

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Leah Stern

Live long and prosper: The Jewish boys who imagined a better galaxy

Walter Koenig’s death sent me back to the Starship Enterprise, where the sons and grandsons of Jewish immigrants offered hope in a perilous time

James Hamilton

A midnight adventure into antiquity

PHOTO ESSAY: My wife and I joined the Samaritans for their 8-station pilgrimage on Mt. Gerizim, finding spirituality in the mist, amid white robes and silver-clad Torah scrolls

Noah Efron

These elections are not a fork in the road

As we fret that the wrong outcome could spell catastrophe for Israel, it’s worth remembering what has happened here over the past 3 years

Keith Brooks

Happy Election Day. May the best coalition you hate win

Staying sane through Israel’s political chaos means accepting that no party is going to govern the way you want. Not even close

Sarah Tuttle-Singer

Sarah Tuttle-Singer

Four secular teens, a Haredi family, and a place at the table

The disagreements over religion and military service didn’t disappear, but for one holiday meal, they simply mattered less

Daniel Goldman

Not just a vote against: What a Zionist government must stand for

Five priorities for a Zionist government that aims beyond correcting this coalition’s failures to securing Israel’s long-term future

Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler

Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler

What happens if WhatsApp goes dark on Election Day?

From the Central Elections Committee to party activists and families, Israel runs on WhatsApp. But the app could fail us all when it matters most

Ted Sasson

Netanyahu’s cryptocurrency gambit is really about the West Bank

The PM is signaling that, unlike his opponents, he will defy international pressure and keep building settlements, even at the risk of economic sanctions

Menachem Elyah Paull

Menachem Elyah Paull

My Jewish papers, please

My parents did not believe in certificates. They believed in brisket

Naftali Bennett

Naftali Bennett

A New Deal for Israel

Facing enemies abroad and deep divisions at home, it’s time to repair our society and care for families who work and serve the country

David Breakstone

David Breakstone

Make Herzl proud. Vote Ra’am

This may be our last chance to secure a greater Israel

Shop vendor Jarjee stands in his stall at the bazaar in Acre on October 28, 2026. (Diana Bletter/Times of Israel)

Reporter's notebook

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'We've had enough of Netanyahu'

In mixed city of Acre, Jewish-Arab coexistence shapes hopes for anti-Netanyahu coalition

By Diana Bletter

In the market stalls of the old bazaar, locals call for Zionist and Arab parties to work together to bring change - but resistance to the idea by opposition leaders may render their vision a nonstarter

ToI podcast

Daily Briefing October 28: Israel voted in droves. What comes next?

By Amanda Borschel-Dan, Tal Schneider and Ariela Karmel

Political correspondents Tal Schneider and Ariela Karmel attempt to dissect election results and weigh in on the many outstanding questions

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American Technion Society

Israel was built on vision. Its future depends on innovation.

Before Israel was a nation, it was a dream. The Technion helped turn that dream into reality. Discover the university that helped build Israel — and is shaping its future.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the media as he stands next to his wife Sara after voting at a polling station in Jerusalem, October 27, 2026. (Jewel Samad/Pool Photo via AP)

Analysis

Israelis delivered an inconclusive election result. Cue the wishful thinking

A government can only form if the same politicians who have been in power for years decide to mend fences, break decades-long patterns and make sense of an incoherent Knesset

Top ops

Leah Stern

Live long and prosper: The Jewish boys who imagined a better galaxy

Walter Koenig’s death sent me back to the Starship Enterprise, where the sons and grandsons of Jewish immigrants offered hope in a perilous time

James Hamilton

A midnight adventure into antiquity

PHOTO ESSAY: My wife and I joined the Samaritans for their 8-station pilgrimage on Mt. Gerizim, finding spirituality in the mist, amid white robes and silver-clad Torah scrolls

Noah Efron

These elections are not a fork in the road

As we fret that the wrong outcome could spell catastrophe for Israel, it’s worth remembering what has happened here over the past 3 years

Keith Brooks

Happy Election Day. May the best coalition you hate win

Staying sane through Israel’s political chaos means accepting that no party is going to govern the way you want. Not even close

Sarah Tuttle-Singer

Sarah Tuttle-Singer

Four secular teens, a Haredi family, and a place at the table

The disagreements over religion and military service didn’t disappear, but for one holiday meal, they simply mattered less

Daniel Goldman

Not just a vote against: What a Zionist government must stand for

Five priorities for a Zionist government that aims beyond correcting this coalition’s failures to securing Israel’s long-term future

Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler

Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler

What happens if WhatsApp goes dark on Election Day?

From the Central Elections Committee to party activists and families, Israel runs on WhatsApp. But the app could fail us all when it matters most

Ted Sasson

Netanyahu’s cryptocurrency gambit is really about the West Bank

The PM is signaling that, unlike his opponents, he will defy international pressure and keep building settlements, even at the risk of economic sanctions

Menachem Elyah Paull

Menachem Elyah Paull

My Jewish papers, please

My parents did not believe in certificates. They believed in brisket

Naftali Bennett

Naftali Bennett

A New Deal for Israel

Facing enemies abroad and deep divisions at home, it’s time to repair our society and care for families who work and serve the country

David Breakstone

David Breakstone

Make Herzl proud. Vote Ra’am

This may be our last chance to secure a greater Israel

2 Palestinians said hurt in West Bank settler attack

Hebron municipality: Some 5,000 residents still impacted by IDF operation in city

Israeli soldiers guard a checkpoint at the entrance to the West Bank city of Hebron, following a shooting attack in the area several days earlier, October 28, 2026. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)

By Nurit Yohanan and Emanuel Fabian

Operation launched last week, after Palestinian gunmen killed 2 soldiers, continues, 6 detained in nearby villages; IDF says footage of soldier beating Palestinian detainee under review

English actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, dressed as his satirical fictional character Ali G, attends the premiere of Amazon MGM Studio’s “Ali G: Who Iz I?” at the Hollywood American Legion Post 43 in Los Angeles on October 14, 2026. (Katie Flores/AFP)

Sacha Baron Cohen wants to fight bigotry. But is Ali G part of the problem?

By Andrew Silow-Carroll

British Jewish comedian pushes back against calls to boycott his new film 'Ali G: Who Iz I?' over cultural appropriation concerns, says character is ideal vehicle for exposing insidious explosion of bigotry

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Thinking of moving to Jerusalem?

Experience the best of Jerusalem living, with a welcoming community, rich tradition, and modern comforts.

Daniel Schlichter looks on as he speaks during an interview about an attack that occurred while he was aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Inside story

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Many passengers struggling to resume their normal lives

Flydubai attack survivors say Israeli government has left them high and dry

By Hannah Dreyfus

After Sept. 30 flight plummeted thousands of feet when terrorist copilot attempted to crash it, and heroic actions narrowly averted disaster, passengers say they're having to grapple with recovery on their own

Knife-wielding minor attacks guard at Israeli embassy in Belgrade, is shot dead

Serbian gendarmes guard the Israeli Embassy after an unidentified assailant attacked a guard with knives in Belgrade, Serbia, October 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

By Agencies and Nava Freiberg

Serbian interior ministry calls incident 'terror attack,' says assailant had Islamic State flag on Instagram account, shouted 'Allahu Akbar' during assault

Watch: TOI Shorts

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot says Israelis voted for change and against Prime Minister Benjamin Net

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot says Israelis voted for change and against Prime Minister Benjamin Net

Can the Arab parties help get the opposition to 61 seats?

Can the Arab parties help get the opposition to 61 seats?

What exit polls show about the Israeli electorate

What exit polls show about the Israeli electorate

As Hebrew media begin publishing exit polls, supporters of Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar cheer at

As Hebrew media begin publishing exit polls, supporters of Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar cheer at

Arab voters cast ballots in Kafr Qasim

Arab voters cast ballots in Kafr Qasim

What voting looks like across Israel

What voting looks like across Israel

Polls are open: Your guide to Israel Election Day

Polls are open: Your guide to Israel Election Day

Flying home to vote: Why Israelis are making the trip

Flying home to vote: Why Israelis are making the trip

Tamir Hayman: Are peace agreements with Arab neighbors worthwhile?

Tamir Hayman: Are peace agreements with Arab neighbors worthwhile?

Yossi Klein Halevi: Do secular Israelis have religious faith?

Yossi Klein Halevi: Do secular Israelis have religious faith?

Screen capture from video of federal judge Alvin Hellerstein during an interview with the Refusniks and Activists website, 2023. (Resfusniksactivists)

Obituary

Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who oversaw Trump, Maduro, 9/11 cases, dies at 92

By Reuters and ToI Staff

Orthodox Jewish US justice said he would mull fairness of his sentences during Shabbat, spoke extensively about how Judaism influenced his life

ToI Live!

WATCH: Israel’s election analyzed, as polls close and exit polls are published

Editor David Horovitz, political correspondent Ariela Karmel and deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan parse exit polls and share potential coalition paths

US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander (left) speaks with Yasser Alqam (right), spokesperson of the Turmus Ayya municipality, while visiting the West Bank town, October 23, 2026. (AP/Leo Correa)

After his detention at olive harvest, Israel revokes US politician’s entry visa

By Andrew Lapin

Immigration authority tells Brad Lander, Democratic nominee for Congress in New York, and several activist rabbis their visas were canceled due to 'change in circumstances'

A recovered parochet (Torah ark curtain) stolen by the Nazis is brought back to the Berlin Jewish community, in an undated photo. (Nicolai Froundjian via JTA)

Jewish artifacts looted by Nazis return to Berlin, thanks to Arizona synagogue

By Toby Axelrod

Holocaust survivor exchanged Crisco, coffee and cigarettes for Torah sash and ark cover looted on Kristallnacht, brought them to US where they eventually went on display in Phoenix

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At least 64 killed as high-speed trains collide in central Spain

Democratic candidate for US Senate Angie Nixon speaks on stage during a fireside chat at Florida Memorial University, October 8, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Jewish Floridians torn over anti-Israel Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon

By Joseph Strauss

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro arrives at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on October 28, 2026, in Opa-locka, Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Flavio Bolsonaro lands in Miami with family after Trump offers exit from Brazil

Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, participates in a panel discussion at cultural center in Cairo, Egypt, November 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Roger Anis)

Egyptian court orders one of last independent media outlets to close; editor held, fined

By AP

Alon Alexander, 37, right, and his twin brother, Oren, left, attend their bond hearing at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building on December 13, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Matias J. Ocner-Pool/Getty Images/AFP)

3 Israeli-American brothers handed 30 years each in US prison for sex trafficking

By Larry Neumeister

A person on a stretcher after a deadly terror shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney, December 14, 2025. (AP/Mark Baker)

Man accused of posing as injured Bondi massacre victim in order to claim compensation

Tovah Feldshuh, as Bina Roklov, and Adam Brody, as her son, Rabbi Noah Roklov, in season three of Netflix romcom TV show 'Nobody Wants This' (Screenshot: YouTube/Netflix)

Adam Brody’s TV mother, Tovah Feldshuh, pushes back on his genocide comment

By Jessica Steinberg

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a campaign rally with President Donald Trump at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, October 23, 2026, in Fort Myers, Florida. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

RFK Jr. under fire for claiming Arabs ‘don’t produce’ science or literature

By Kanishka Singh

An Eurovision flag flies at the port of Burgas, on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, which will host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, August 14, 2026. (Valentina Petrova/AP)

In reversal, Holland pulls out of Eurovision citing ‘sensitivities’ over Israel

By Agencies and ToI Staff

A man inspects the aftermath of a Jordanian airstrike in Al-Tuff, in the countryside of Daraa province in southern Syria, October 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Jordan strikes armed groups in Syria it says tied to church attack; Damascus: Civilians killed

By AP

Popular

Those we have lost

Stories of the civilians and soldiers who have fallen in the Israel-Hamas war

Zehava and Ze'ev Haker (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Zehava & Ze’ev Haker, 68, 72: Devoted to kibbutz and their family

Slain during the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7

Sgt. Nahman Dekel, 20, was killed while fighting Hamas in Kibbutz Sufa on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Sgt. Nahman Dekel, 20: Fun brother who ‘did everything with a smile’

Killed in combat with Hamas terrorists in the Sufa IDF outpost on October 7

Sgt. Shimon Lugasi (IDF)

Those we have lost

Sgt. Shimon Lugasi, 19: ‘Righteous’ soldier with a permanent smile

Killed battling a Hamas invasion of the Nahal Oz outpost on October 7

Niv Tel Zur (Courtesy)

Those We Have Lost

Niv Tel Zur, 22: Powerlifter who always carried a book with him

Murdered by Hamas while trying to flee the Supernova music festival on October 7

Eitan Hadad (IDF)

Those We Have Lost

Eitan Hadad, 43: Talented bass player who ‘was all heart’

Killed battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7

Sgt. Habib Kiean (IDF)

Those we have lost

Sgt. Habib Kiean, 21: Bedouin Golani soldier who loved video games

Killed battling Hamas at the Paga IDF outpost next to Gaza on October 7

Benji Trakeniski, an off-duty soldier who went to rescue civilians in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

Those we have lost

Maj. Benji Trakeniski, 32: Husband-to-be who rescued dozens

Killed while evacuating residents from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7

Sgt. First Class Amir Fisher (IDF)

Those we have lost

Sgt. 1st Class Amir Fisher, 22: Lone soldier dreamed of soccer career

Killed on October 7 battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Kfar Aza

Naor Hasidim and Sivan Elkabets (Courtesy)

Those We Have Lost

Naor Hasidim & Sivan Elkabets, 23: Together since they were 16

Murdered in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, they were buried under a double headstone

Anton Guryonov (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Anton Guryonov, 37: Trusted plumber with a ‘constant laugh’

Murdered by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7

Tales of the Times

The quirky, improbable, infuriating and uplifting

Noah Wyle in HBO's "The Pitt." (Warrick Page/MAX via JTA)

People's chosen

Noah Wyle, TV’s nice Jewish doctor, is People’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’

Wyle drew on his father’s Russian-Jewish background in helping create Robby, his ER physician character on 'The Pitt,' who wears a Star of David necklace

By Andrew Silow-Carroll

Gal Gadot posts a recording of herself as she casts a vote on Israel's election day, October 27, 2026 (Courtesy)

No place like home

Gal Gadot casts ballot, calls on Israelis to vote in ‘momentous election’

Accepting Bar-Ilan University honorary doctorate, actress speaks of 'opportunity to make a difference' at the ballot box; 'No matter how far I travel, Israel's always my home,' she says

By Jessica Steinberg

The 'Bustan' (Orchard) at the Holon Design Museum's new exhibition, The Circle, September 9, 2026. (Sue Surkes/Times of Israel)

In the loop

Exhibit tackles role of design in cutting waste, protecting planet

Design Museum in central Holon encourages visitors to feel part of Earth, consider their consumer choices

Frances Munning, played by Penny Downie in 'The Diplomat,' in a tribute scene to the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin in season four (Screenshot)

Streaming homage

Netflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ offers hidden tribute to Hersh Goldberg-Polin

World War II anecdote mentions 'Hershel Polin' in apparent reference to slain hostage, includes salute to Aner Shapira, who repelled Hamas grenades

By Jessica Steinberg

Larry David arrives at a screening of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" during PaleyFest on April 18, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Curb your socialism

Larry David takes aim at DSA’s anti-Israel agenda and far-left platform

Democrat, whose political satire usually targets GOP, hits closer to home by proposing to rename Jews 'The Bagel People,' sending Israelis to remote Pacific island; not all are amused

A grab taken on October 16, 2026 from a live feed released by Tesla shows the company unveiling on October 15 its next-generation Roadster electric car in McGregor, Texas, United States. (Tesla/AFP)

Not a bird or a plane

Tesla unveils new ‘flying’ car, but consumer rollout likely still years away

Production on new Roadster, which can thrust itself into the air in short spurts, won't begin until 2028 as Musk admits it's not 'a safety-optimized car'

By AP

Immigrants arriving in Israel, as ANU Museum of the Jewish People and Nefesh b'Nefesh mark Aliyah Day on October 18, 2026 (Yonit Schiller)

Oleh, oleh

Where schnitzel, pickles and alfajores sit on the same table

Immigrant foods and the Israeli dining table are the focus of Aliyah Day at ANU Museum in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18

By Jessica Steinberg

A rendered photo of the Tel Aviv Fashion Museum, planned to open in early 2027 (Courtesy)

If the shoe fits

A museum dressed to impress: Fashion finds a home in Tel Aviv

The Tel Aviv Fashion Museum will open in Sarona, a collaboration of the Azrieli Group and curator Ya'ara Keydar

By Jessica Steinberg

The Arnovitz family in Koh Samui, Thailand, July 2026. (Courtesy)

Memory drive

Busy couple launches app to help parents record kids’ magic moments

With 300 days of reserve duty behind him, Gabi Arnovitz had little time to write down the funny things happening at home with his two young boys, so he made an app

Ofra Yitzhaki, on piano, is the artistic director of the Kol Hamusica festival, taking place October 29-November 1, 2026, in the Upper Galilee (Ofer Moskovitz)

Musical memory

Upper Galilee to remember its own at music festival

Concert to be held in memory of Ofer 'Poshko' Moskovitz at Kol Hamusica; Azrieli Hatikvah Project staging 11 shows in nine locations

By Jessica Steinberg