Israel election: Record turnout as Netanyahu and Eisenkot remain deadlocked
Summary
Israeli exit polls showed opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc narrowly ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp, 52 seats to 50, but neither side appeared to have a clear route to a majority. Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades, while final results and coalition negotiations remained uncertain.Key Facts
- Israel’s three major television networks’ exit polls gave Eisenkot’s bloc 52 seats and Netanyahu’s Likud-led camp 50 in the 120-seat Knesset.
- The exit polls assigned 18 seats to Arab parties not aligned with either bloc.
- Eisenkot has largely ruled out forming a government with the Arab parties, making it harder for his bloc to reach a majority.
- The Central Elections Committee reported voter turnout of 77.7%, about seven percentage points above the 2022 election.
- Some Israeli media outlets, including Channel 14, projected that Netanyahu’s parties could win 60 seats.
- The election was Israel’s first since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the wars that followed in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
- Final results could take days, and smaller parties could influence coalition negotiations.
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