Israeli legislative election, 2009

Elections for the 18th Knesset

← 2006 10 February 2009 2013 →

Party Leader % Seats ± Kadima Tzipi Livni 22.47% 28 -1 Likud Benjamin Netanyahu 21.61% 27 +15 Yisrael Beiteinu Avigdor Lieberman 11.70% 15 +4 Labor Ehud Barak 9.93% 13 -6 Shas Eli Yishai 8.49% 11 -1 United Torah Judaism Yaakov Litzman 4.39% 5 -1 United Arab List Ibrahim Sarsur 3.38% 4 0 National Union Yaakov Katz 3.34% 4 Hadash Mohammad Barakeh 3.32% 4 +1 Meretz Haim Oron 2.95% 3 -2 The Jewish Home Daniel Hershkowitz 2.87% 3 Balad Jamal Zahalka 2.48% 3 0 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Prime Minister before Prime Minister after Ehud Olmert Kadima Benjamin Netanyahu Likud

Elections for the 18th Knesset were held in Israel on 10 February 2009. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government. Had Olmert remained in office or had Livni formed a coalition government, the elections would have been scheduled for 2010 instead.

Although the incumbent prime minister's party, Kadima, won the most seats in the parliament, the Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was able to form a majority coalition government and become the new prime minister.

On 17 September 2008, Kadima held a leadership election, which was won by Tzipi Livni. Following Livni's victory, former party leader Ehud Olmert (who did not run in the contest) resigned as Prime Minister. Livni was given six weeks to form a coalition, but set a deadline of 26 October for parties to agree to join the new government.

Although the Labor Party agreed to join, current coalition members Shas rejected the opportunity, with Livni claiming that they had made "economically and diplomatically illegitimate" demands (which included a reluctance to increasing child benefits and rejecting the possible division of Jerusalem in a deal with the Palestinians). It was reported that Shas had rejected almost one billion shekels in child allowances offered to them as part of the coalition negotiations.Gil and United Torah Judaism had both rejected offers to join while negotiations with Meretz-Yachad were still ongoing. On 26 October, Livni recommended to President Shimon Peres that early elections be held.