Israel election still hangs in the balance as exit polls give opposition a razor-thin edge
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Exit polls point to a narrow lead for the opposition led by former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot over Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, setting up a tense battle over Israel’s next government and the future of the Jewish state.
Israel's parliamentary election on Tuesday failed to produce a clear winner, with exit polls showing only a marginal advantage for the opposition bloc headed by former Israel Defense Forces chief Gadi Eisenkot over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition. Although Likud remained the largest single party, the polls indicated that Eisenkot's Yashar alliance could secure a few more Knesset seats, potentially giving Arab parties, expected to win up to 18 seats, an outsized role in deciding who governs.
The close result is likely to trigger weeks of hard-fought negotiations to assemble a governing coalition, and could also lead to a caretaker government if no clear majority is formed. Opposition leaders, including former prime minister Yair Lapid, claimed the polls showed defeat for Netanyahu, while Eisenkot called them a “vote of no-confidence in Netanyahu” and promised to act quickly to form a new government.
Voter turnout reached a historic 77.1%, the highest in five decades, helped by record participation from Israeli Arab voters and an influx of citizens voting abroad. The Central Elections Committee rejected a request to extend polling hours, and 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 these accusations, accusing Netanyahu of “lies and fear-mongering” to mobilise his base. With the Knesset’s 120 seats up for grabs, both sides will have to court Arab parties and other centrist factions to secure a governing majority.