Israel election: Vote counting continues after exit polls fail to identify clear winner

Israel’s parliamentary election is going on in full swing, with exit polls showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and an opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot falling short of the majority needed to form a government.

According to CNN, Israel’s three main television channels, Channels 11, 12 and 13, projected Netanyahu’s bloc to win 51–52 seats in the 120-member Knesset, the country’s parliament. Eisenkot’s Yashar party was projected to secure 21–23 seats, making it the largest party in the opposition.

The election marks Israel’s first parliamentary vote since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. Reuters reported that voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades, according to the Central Election Committee.

The 61-seat threshold is crucial for forming a governing majority, and the exit polls suggest that neither side has secured a clear path to power.

Coalition talks hold the key

Although the opposition parties collectively secured an estimated 68–70 seats in the exit polls, according to CNN, their ideological differences and divisions over cooperation with Arab parties could complicate efforts to form a government.

Eisenkot’s route to power may depend on securing support from Arab parties, a prospect that has drawn opposition from some leaders within the broader anti-Netanyahu camp.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, has ruled out such cooperation in strong terms. According to Al Jazeera, the Israeli prime minister described the prospect of forming a government with Arab parties as “a disgrace and a shame”.

CNN reported that Netanyahu’s Likud party was projected to remain the largest individual party, with 25–27 seats. However, this would represent a substantial decline from the 68-seat coalition he led in the outgoing Knesset.

A separate exit poll by pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 offered a different picture, projecting 60 seats for his bloc and 30 for Likud alone. The other major television networks projected a narrower contest between the two camps.

Netanyahu campaigns on wartime leadership

Reuters reported that Netanyahu campaigned on his record of wartime leadership and his alliance with US President Donald Trump, who endorsed him.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of running a campaign based on “fear-mongering” and expressed confidence that Trump would work with whichever leader the Israeli electorate chose.

The final outcome remains uncertain, as exit polls are projections rather than official results. Reuters reported that ballots were being counted, while CNN said the final tally could take several days.

The results are expected to determine whether Netanyahu can assemble a new governing coalition or whether the opposition can overcome its internal divisions to form an alternative government.