Record Turnout Leaves Israeli Election Without Clear Winner

Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot entered Wednesday with no clear path to power after Israel’s parliamentary election resulted in a statistical tie. Exit polls released on Tuesday evening showed the two camps neck and neck, leaving the country without a definitive governing majority. The outcome forces an immediate search for coalition partners amid a record high level of voter participation.

Channel 12 projected that the coalition supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would secure 52 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. The opposition bloc led by Eisenkot’s Yashar party was projected at 49 seats. Channel 13 offered a slightly different view, suggesting a dead heat with both blocs at 51 seats. Both networks agreed that Netanyahu’s Likud party would emerge as the largest single entity, estimating 27 seats for Likud against 21 for Yashar. Arab parties were projected to win 19 seats combined, a number that builds on their performance in the 2022 election.

The Central Elections Committee reported that turnout reached 77.7 percent of eligible voters. This figure marks the highest participation rate since 1999. It represents a jump of 7.1 percentage points from the 2022 vote. The military reported that turnout among soldiers passed 68 percent by 5 pm local time. More than 60,000 Israelis traveled from abroad to cast their ballots. Polling stations closed at 10 pm, and voters already in line were permitted to finish the process.

Eisenkot addressed supporters at Yashar headquarters to declare victory. He stated that the public voted for change. “The old era is over, and Israel is starting a new era,” he said. Netanyahu responded by claiming Likud’s dominance. He called for a “national right-wing government” and argued that the right bloc holds a “decisive majority.” He also criticized Israeli television channels, accusing them of trying to discourage his supporters by projecting stronger results for the opposition.

Other political figures issued statements shortly after the polls closed. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his party was projected to win seven seats. He vowed to continue expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the performance of his Otzma Yehudit party. Yair Golan, the leader of the Democrats, said voters had “fired the Netanyahu government.” Mansour Abbas, leader of Ra'am, said he hoped the final results would provide the opposition bloc and his party with the 61 seats needed for a majority.

Tensions rose between the camps over the treatment of Arab voters. Arab party leaders accused Netanyahu of inciting hatred against Palestinian citizens to boost his chances. On Tuesday, Netanyahu posted on X describing Arab voters as “Muslim Brotherhood supporters.” He accused them of “raiding the polling stations and stealing the elections.” Yousef Jabareen of the Joint List responded by saying Netanyahu knew Arab voters “can put an end to his bloody reign.” Abbas called the remarks a “scare tactic to mobilise right-wing voters.”

The technical process for forming a government begins once the vote is finalized. President Isaac Herzog will consult with party leaders. He will then nominate the candidate he believes is best placed to form a government. That candidate will have up to 42 days to build a coalition. If no government forms, Netanyahu and his cabinet remain in a caretaker capacity, and the country faces new elections. The final tally is expected by Friday, with official results to be published on November 4.