As vote count continues, Likud gains a seat at expense of ally Shas; no change in blocs

Today, 3:23 pm

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) reads a letter to Shas chair Aryeh Deri, informing Deri that he must remove him from ministerial office, at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, January 22, 2023. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

With double-envelope ballots still being counted, partial results published by the Central Elections Committee show the bloc distribution holding steady with the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at 53 seats and the one led by Yashar’s Gadi Eisenkot at 48.

Within the Netanyahu-led bloc, Likud gains a seat at the expense of the Haredi Shas party.

The Arab parties are steady at 19 seats, a record high.

So far, 295,607 double envelopes have been counted, of an estimated 430,000 to 480,000 in total, according to the Central Elections Committee. The results are partial and will change as counting continues.