2009 Israeli legislative election

Elections for the 18th Knesset

← 2006 10 February 2009 2013 →
All 120 seats in the Knesset 61 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	64.7% ( 1.1 pp)
Party Leader % Seats +/– Kadima Tzipi Livni 22.47 28 −1 Likud-Ahi 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 UTJ Yaakov Litzman 4.39 5 −1 Ra'am–Ta'al Ibrahim Sarsur 3.38 4 0 National Union Yaakov Katz 3.34 4 −2 Hadash Mohammad Barakeh 3.32 4 +1 Meretz Haim Oron 2.95 3 −2 Jewish Home Daniel Hershkowitz 2.87 3 0 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.^[1] 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.