- BIST10011,151-0.01%
- USD49.76+0.22%
- EUR55.75+0.28%
- GOLD4,073.50-0.03%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN80,813+1.00%
- October 28, 202614°
- BIST10011,151-0.01%
- USD49.76+0.22%
- EUR55.75+0.28%
- GOLD4,073.50-0.03%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN80,813+1.00%
- October 28, 202614°
Exit polls: Netanyahu's bloc loses majority as Arab parties post record result
Exit polls from Israel's election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc falling to 50 seats from the 64 it won in 2022, behind Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc on 52 to 53, with neither side reaching a majority and Arab parties winning a record 17 to 18 seats.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing bloc has lost its parliamentary majority, according to exit polls released by Israeli television networks after polling stations closed on Tuesday night. The coalition that has prosecuted the war in Gaza fell to 50 seats, down from the 64 it won in 2022, while the opposition bloc led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot rose to 52 or 53 seats. Neither camp reached the 61 seats needed to govern.
Public broadcaster Kan and Channel 13 both gave Eisenkot's bloc 53 seats, Netanyahu's 50 and Arab parties 17. Channel 12 projected 52 for the Eisenkot bloc and 18 for Arab parties. Netanyahu's Likud remained the largest single party with 24 to 25 seats, down from 32 in 2022, ahead of Eisenkot's Yashar on 21 to 23. Only the right-leaning i24 and the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 showed his bloc ahead, at 55 and 60 seats respectively.
A rebuke after two years of war
Eisenkot described the result as a vote of no confidence in Netanyahu and what he called "the October 7 government," and pledged to move quickly to form a "Zionist government" to replace it. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu had suffered a "crushing defeat." Democrats leader Yair Golan wrote that "the public has spoken, it has fired the Netanyahu government," adding that his camp had "a historic opportunity to establish a government of real change."
Turnout reached 74.3% by 8 p.m., the highest at that hour since 1988 and well above the 70.6% recorded in 2022, with more than 5.4 million people casting ballots.
Leaked call: "Have they gone crazy?"
In the final hours of voting, Channel 12 political analyst Amit Segal published a recording of Netanyahu on the phone with a figure from the ultra-Orthodox community, pressing him on why Haredi voters were staying home. "Tell me, have they gone crazy? Do they want a left-wing government here?" Netanyahu says. His interlocutor replies that Haredim are "not convinced anyone will keep their word" after four years of broken promises over military conscription. "How am I supposed to give them guarantees now, in an hour and a half?" Netanyahu answers.
Throughout the day, Netanyahu targeted Palestinian citizens of Israel, warning that the alternative was "a government of Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi," and claimed that some were trying to "steal" the election.
Record result for Arab parties
The Joint List and the United Arab List are projected to win 17 to 18 seats combined, the highest Arab representation in the Knesset's history, after a day of long queues in Arab towns. Bedouin voters in Shaqib al-Salam reported waiting more than four hours to vote. At an election-night gathering broadcast by Channel 12, an Arab party leader told supporters they would keep working to send "the far-right government of Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and Smotrich" home, calling it a "government of blood," and called for a just peace based on a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
Roughly 391,000 Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem could not vote at all, because Israel classifies them as permanent residents rather than citizens.
Eisenkot is no dove
A change at the top would not necessarily mean a change in policy toward Palestinians. Eisenkot served as army chief of staff, sat in the war cabinet during the Gaza war and is closely associated with the "Dahiya doctrine" of disproportionate force against civilian areas. His promise of a "Zionist government" also signals that Arab parties would be kept out of any coalition he leads.
Official results are expected over the coming days, after which President Isaac Herzog will consult the parties before tasking a candidate with forming a government. Netanyahu could remain caretaker prime minister while coalition talks drag on.
Have a story, event or announcement of your own?Send us your news on WhatsApp
Spotted an error in this story?Report it on WhatsApp
Share on all social platforms
Sponsored Ads
Featured Listings
Loading featured properties...
Stay Updated with Ally Daily
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
