Israeli Election: Exit Polls Suggest Stalemate as Netanyahu Bloc Lags

Israel’s political system is on the brink of a prolonged negotiation period after Tuesday’s election failed to produce a clear winner for either side.

Exit polls published by major television networks indicate that Binyamin Netanyahu’s governing bloc and the opposition group led by Gadi Eisenkot are effectively tied, with each side hovering around 51 seats.

This count falls short of the 61 seats required to form a majority government in the 120-member Knesset.

As of 3:00 a.m. local time, Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister for the longest continuous period in Israeli history, addressed his supporters.

He vowed to construct a coalition by securing agreements with Likud, far-right factions, and Jewish religious parties.

“We must put in place a strong government of the right,” Netanyahu said to a cheering crowd. “The Jewish and Zionist majority must unite.”

Eisenkot, a former general, spoke to supporters in Tel Aviv earlier in the evening, claiming the electorate chose change.

He stated that Netanyahu should have announced his retirement from politics that day.

The election saw record participation among Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin, a demographic that constitutes approximately 20 percent of the country’s population.

Many in this group had boycotted previous polls but sought a stronger political voice in this vote.

Exit polls predict these parties could win about 18 seats, an increase from the previous 10.

However, their inclusion in a governing coalition remains complicated by the positions of the two main blocs leaders have taken regarding Arab-led parties and Zionist criteria for governance. Netanyahu has called it “out of the question” to have a government backed by Palestinian parties, while Eisenkot has stated they do not meet the necessary criteria to rule. With roughly a third of ballots counted, the Central Elections Committee reported 28 seats for Likud and 21 for Eisenkot’s Yashar party. The committee noted that these numbers are expected to fluctuate as the final count proceeds, a process that can see seat totals shift dramatically due to the specific mechanics of Israel’s voting system. The election took place while Israel faces accusations of genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Netanyahu is also wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes. The vote drew a 77.7 percent turnout, the highest since 1999, with more than seven million eligible voters participating. This represents an increase of about 9 percent compared to the previous election. Opposition figure Yair Lapid, a former prime minister, described the exit poll results as a “crushing defeat” for Netanyahu’s bloc. “This is a total collapse,” Lapid said. “The public has told them to get out.” Netanyahu and several allied parties attempted to keep polling stations open past the 10:00 p.m. deadline, but the Central Elections Committee rejected the request. The prime minister had previously suggested that efforts by the “left and Arabs” were being made to steal the election, a claim the committee dismissed. The campaign included Netanyahu posting an image of a nuclear explosion devastating Tel Aviv on the night before voting opened. Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad arrived in recent days to vote, with many landing at Ben Gurion airport on Tuesday to cast ballots. The high turnout included marked increases among serving military members.