Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, have both signalled their determination to shape the country’s next government after exit polls indicated a tightly contested election, with neither political camp securing a clear parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu called for a new right-wing government, while Eisenkot argued that voters had rejected the incumbent premier and urged him to leave politics. Neither leader declared victory as the counting of ballots began.
Three Israeli television exit polls showed the two rival camps struggling to reach the 61 seats required to control the 120-member Knesset. Kan 11 and Channel 13 projected a 51-51 split, while Channel 12 gave Netanyahu’s Likud-led alliance a slight advantage, estimating it would secure 52 seats against 49 for its rivals.
The projections suggested that Netanyahu’s nationalist and religious coalition, which previously held as many as 68 seats, could lose its parliamentary majority. However, the final outcome remained uncertain as official results were still being compiled.
The inconclusive vote could allow Netanyahu to remain caretaker prime minister while political parties negotiate possible alliances. If no side succeeds in forming a government, Israel could face another election.
Far-right politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were projected to win a combined 13 seats within Netanyahu’s camp, without making substantial gains. Meanwhile, Arab political parties outside the two main blocs could emerge as influential players in negotiations.
However, Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and a former military chief, has largely ruled out relying on Arab parties to establish a government, potentially narrowing his options for assembling a parliamentary majority.
Security and Iran dominate campaign
Addressing supporters at Likud’s election headquarters in Jerusalem after 3am local time, Netanyahu highlighted Israel’s military achievements and suggested the country could pursue further joint action with US President Donald Trump against Iran.
He described the moment as a historic opportunity for Israel and Washington to eliminate what he called the Iranian threat, while stressing the importance of pursuing that objective.
Eisenkot, meanwhile, cautioned against using national security for political advantage. He described Netanyahu as a caretaker leader lacking a fresh public mandate and urged security officials to resist decisions driven by partisan considerations.
The election recorded a turnout of 77.7%, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, marking the highest participation in more than two decades and an increase of around seven percentage points compared with the 2022 election.
Final results were expected on Thursday or Friday, with smaller parties potentially playing a decisive role in coalition negotiations.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, described the exit poll projections as a major setback for Netanyahu’s coalition but warned that they did not establish Eisenkot as the clear winner.
Eisenkot emerges as leading challenger
Eisenkot, 66, has positioned himself as a centrist on domestic issues while maintaining a hard-line approach to national security. He lost a son and two nephews during the Gaza war and has used his military background to challenge Netanyahu’s leadership.
After entering politics four years ago, Eisenkot joined Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet but resigned eight months later, criticising the prime minister’s handling of the conflict.
Although he has presented himself as an alternative to Netanyahu and his far-right allies, Eisenkot opposes Palestinian statehood and maintains that Hamas’s military wing must be dismantled or destroyed.
He has also criticised Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, arguing that the campaign has failed to achieve its objectives because Hamas remains in control. Gaza health authorities have reported more than 74,000 Palestinian deaths in the conflict.
At the headquarters of the Joint List, an alliance of Arab political parties, exit poll announcements were greeted with applause and whistles as candidates expressed hope that strong participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel would help prevent Netanyahu’s coalition from returning to power.
“We refuse the occupation and racism, and we will remain here,” Joint List candidate Faten Gattas said at the alliance’s headquarters in Nazareth.
With neither major camp projected to command a majority, the final results and subsequent coalition talks will determine whether Israel secures a new government or heads towards another election.