Israel's October 27, 2026, election produced a deadlock, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc securing 53 Knesset seats and Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc taking 48, short of the 61-seat majority required to govern. Arab-led parties gained a record 19 seats but remain excluded from coalitions by most Jewish parties. Netanyahu retains power as caretaker prime minister during negotiations, bolstered by incumbency and stronger-than-expected support among Jewish voters. President Isaac Herzog assigned Eisenkot the first mandate to form a government, with a 28-day window plus possible extension; failure would shift the opportunity to Netanyahu or trigger new elections. These dynamics, including potential unity government talks or procedural delays, shape trader assessments of Netanyahu's tenure length amid ongoing coalition efforts and the risk of fresh voting in 2027.