Netanyahu, Eisenkot stake rival claims to lead Israel after deadlocked vote

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, made competing claims to lead the country on Wednesday after an election that left neither side with a clear path to a parliamentary majority.

With about 48.4% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 55 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while Eisenkot’s bloc was expected to secure 50 seats. Arab parties were projected to win the remaining 15 seats, according to Israeli media reports.

Both blocs fell short of the 61 seats needed to form a government. The Central Elections Committee was counting votes on Wednesday, with definitive results expected by Thursday. The election was Israel’s first since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu called for the formation of “a strong, right-wing national government” while addressing supporters at Likud party headquarters in Jerusalem early on Wednesday.

He also highlighted Israel’s military operations and raised the prospect of renewed joint action with US President Donald Trump against Iran.

“Israel faces a singular historical opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all. But ulterior motives must not divert us from this sacred mission,” he said.

Trump, who endorsed Netanyahu, told reporters on Wednesday that the prime minister had performed well, describing the contest as close.

Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former military chief, said voters had rejected Netanyahu’s continued leadership and urged him to retire from politics.

“Netanyahu is a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people’s trust,” Eisenkot said, calling on the security establishment to “stand firm” against attempts to place political interests ahead of Israel’s security.

Voter turnout reached 77.7%, the Central Elections Committee said, the highest in more than two decades and about 7 percentage points above the 2022 election.

The projected results marked a setback for Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, which previously held 68 seats. However, the inconclusive outcome could allow the 77-year-old prime minister to remain in office as caretaker while coalition negotiations continue, potentially until another election.

Netanyahu’s bloc has ruled out forming a government with Arab parties, which campaigned against his return to power. Eisenkot has also largely ruled out joining forces with Arab parties, complicating his efforts to assemble a majority.

Far-right religious parties led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were projected to win a combined 13 seats within Netanyahu’s bloc, with neither making significant gains.

Israel’s fragmented political system often leaves smaller parties in a position to determine the outcome of coalition negotiations, which can last weeks or months. If neither bloc can form a government, another election may be necessary. Eisenkot has opposed holding another vote, citing the high turnout.

The Israeli shekel weakened modestly following the inconclusive result.

Eisenkot, 66, emerged as Netanyahu’s strongest challenger by highlighting his military credentials and presenting himself as a centrist on domestic issues. He entered politics four years ago and joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet after the October 2023 attack, but resigned eight months later, criticising the prime minister’s leadership.

Although he has offered an alternative to Netanyahu and his far-right allies, Eisenkot maintains a hawkish security stance. He opposes Palestinian statehood and says Hamas’ military wing must be destroyed or dismantled.

Eisenkot has described Israel’s war in Gaza as a failure because Hamas remains in control. The war has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

At the headquarters of the Joint List, an alliance of Arab parties, supporters celebrated the exit polls, hoping increased turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel would help block Netanyahu’s coalition from returning to power.

“We refuse the occupation and racism, and we will remain here,” said Faten Gattas, a Joint List candidate, at the alliance’s headquarters in Nazareth.

The election took place against the backdrop of the October 7, 2023, attack, when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage, according to Israeli figures, and the subsequent wars in Gaza and against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.

Netanyahu faced criticism over the security failures that allowed the attack to take place, but argued that his government had made Israel safer by killing senior leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

His right-wing coalition’s policies have divided Israeli society and deepened the country’s international isolation, while Netanyahu has presented himself as the leader best placed to confront Israel’s adversaries.

He has served as prime minister for nearly 19 of the past 30 years and repeatedly survived political crises. His opponents unseated him only once after 2009, following four inconclusive elections over two years. He returned to power 18 months later.

Netanyahu also entered the election facing corruption charges, which he denies, and continued criticism over the intelligence failures preceding the October 2023 attack.