Exit polls show opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc with a narrow lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but neither side has a clear majority.
The parliamentary election in Israel remains deadlocked, as exit polls from all three major television networks indicate a narrow two-seat advantage for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp. The projections place Eisenkot’s bloc at 52 seats and Netanyahu’s Likud-led alliance at 50, leaving neither with the required 61 seats for a majority in the 120-member parliament – Knesset.
The uncertain path to power for Eisenkot lies in the remaining 18 seats, projected to go to Arab parties not aligned with either bloc. Eisenkot has largely ruled out forming a government with these parties. Netanyahu could potentially remain caretaker prime minister if coalition talks fail.
Voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades and around seven percentage points above the 2022 election. This vote marks the first since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Netanyahu has served as prime minister for nearly 19 of the past 30 years and has repeatedly survived political crises. His opponents removed him from office only once since 2009, but he returned to power 18 months later.
Source:
Akashvani News
