Israel: 2021 parliamentary election

Israel’s election, to elect members of the Knesset, was the fourth election in two years and came less than a year since the swearing-in of the “unity government” in May 2020.

37 political parties and factions contested the election and 13 went on to win at least one of the 120 seats in the chamber.

The election campaign was low key and largely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership.

Official results from Israel’s Central Election Commission show Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most seats in the Knesset, although not enough to form a government or to indicate a clear path towards a coalition.

On 6 April 2021 Israel’s President, Reuven Rivlin, asked Netanyahu to form the next government. Negotiations between the various parties and factions continue, as the Prime Minister seeks to form a coalition government.