By Basant El-Faramawy
Exit polls indicate Israel's major political blocs are deadlocked after Tuesday's election, setting the stage for potentially protracted coalition negotiations as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot vie for a workable majority in the Knesset.
Vote Count and Projections
With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu's right-wing coalition has lost its parliamentary majority, while Eisenkot's opposition alliance also falls short of an outright majority. Israeli media project Netanyahu's bloc at 53 seats, Eisenkot's "Change" bloc at 48 seats, and Palestinian Israeli parties at 19 seats. Sixty-one seats are required to govern. The remaining absentee ballots are expected to be counted Wednesday night, with final results by Thursday.
Palestinian Parties Make Historic Gains
Palestinian Israeli parties achieved their strongest showing ever. The Joint List, a new alliance of Arab-majority parties, secured at least 12 seats, while the Islamic Ra'am party won seven. The Palestinian Israeli vote, representing about 20% of the population, proved decisive, driven by high turnout amid complaints of increased racism and discrimination under Netanyahu's government.
Coalition Talks and Key Questions
The central question is whether Eisenkot's heterogeneous bloc — comprising Naftali Bennett's right-wing Together party, Yair Golan's centre-left Democrats, and Avigdor Lieberman's right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu — will partner with Palestinian parties, trigger a new election, or even negotiate with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu and Eisenkot React
Addressing supporters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Netanyahu claimed Likud remained Israel's largest party and insisted on forming a "strong, right-wing national government" that excludes Palestinian parties. In Tel Aviv, Eisenkot declared the public had voted no confidence in Netanyahu and warned him against using security issues, such as a potential strike on Iran, for political gain.
Record Turnout and External Factors
This election saw the highest voter participation in Israel's history, with many citizens flying home to vote and nearly 80% of IDF soldiers casting ballots. Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed his endorsement helped Netanyahu outperform pre-election polls.
