Exit polls indicate a narrow lead for opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc in the Israeli parliamentary elections, leaving neither side with a majority. The final count and subsequent coalition negotiations will determine who can form Israel’s next government.
The parliamentary election in Israel has resulted in a deadlock, as exit polls from all three major television networks suggest a 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, falling short of the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member parliament – Knesset.
The results could give Eisenkot the first chance to form a government, but his path to power remains uncertain. The remaining 18 seats were projected to go to Arab parties not aligned with either bloc, and Eisenkot has largely ruled out forming a government with them. Netanyahu, meanwhile, could remain caretaker prime minister if coalition talks fail.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee reported that voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in over two decades and around seven percentage points above the 2022 election. This vote marked the first since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
It is important to note that 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
