Israeli voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tuesday's national election, according to exit polls released by major Israeli television stations. The surveys indicated Netanyahu's bloc would win 50 seats in the 120-seat parliament, while opposition parties would capture 52 to 53 seats and Arab-led parties would take 17 to 18.
Despite the opposition's apparent majority, forming a government may prove difficult. The most straightforward path would require former military chief Gadi Eisenkot to partner with Arab parties, a move that could alienate other opposition factions. Eisenkot said the exit polls reflect a "lack of confidence" in the current prime minister.
The election, the first since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, saw more than 74% of eligible voters cast ballots by 8 p.m., the highest turnout at that hour in decades and 8 percentage points higher than the 2022 election. Over 7 million Israelis were eligible to vote, with tens of thousands reportedly arriving from overseas to participate.
President Isaac Herzog will now task the party leader with the best prospect of forming a coalition, usually the one with the most seats. If no one can assemble a majority, Israel could face new elections early next year. The country held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 due to similar stalemates.
The race was widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu's nearly 17-year rule and a struggle over the character of the state, pitting the prime minister and his ultranationalist and religious allies against those seeking to preserve Israel's liberal and secular foundations. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours, with final results due in the coming days.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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