Israel election result remains unresolved as exit polls edge opposition ahead of Netanyahu’s bloc
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Exit polls suggest the opposition headed by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot may secure a narrow lead over Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, leaving Israel’s next government in limbo and exposing the fragility of the right-wing camp.
Israel's parliamentary election on Tuesday once again exposed the deep instability of the country's political system, with no decisive winner and exit polls showing a slim advantage for the opposition bloc headed by former Israel Defense Forces chief Gadi Eisenkot over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition. While Likud remained the largest single party, the polls projected Eisenkot's Yashar alliance to win a few more Knesset seats, potentially handing Arab parties, expected to take up to 18 seats, a decisive kingmaker role.
The tight outcome is expected to unleash weeks of bargaining to piece together a governing coalition, and could also produce a caretaker government if no clear majority emerges. Opposition leaders, including former prime minister Yair Lapid, said the polls amount to a repudiation of Netanyahu’s rule, while Eisenkot described them as a “vote of no-confidence in Netanyahu” and vowed to move swiftly to build a new government.
Voter turnout reached a historic 77.1%, the highest in five decades, driven in part by record participation among Israeli Arab voters and a surge of citizens voting abroad. The Central Elections Committee rejected a request to extend polling hours, and also rejected claims of systematic tampering by “the left and Arabs.”
Netanyahu, who faces a long-running corruption trial, warned of threats to the Jewish state and accused opponents of trying to steal the election. Eisenkot dismissed those claims, accusing Netanyahu of “lies and fear-mongering” aimed at mobilising his base. With the Knesset’s 120 seats at stake, both camps will need to court Arab parties and other centrist factions to reach a governing majority.