Israel Election Exit Polls Show Opposition Bloc With Slim Lead
Israelis turned out to vote in numbers not seen in a generation, with national turnout reaching 77.7%, according to the Central Election Committee. Tuesday's general election—the first since the October 7, 2023, attacks—featured a high-stakes race centered on the political future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Initial exit polls indicated a slim lead for an opposition bloc of parties led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose centrist Yashar party and allied groups aimed to unseat Netanyahu and his right-wing allies. While exit polls projected that Eisenkot's bloc held a slight edge and Netanyahu's Likud party was positioned as the largest single party in the 120-seat Knesset, neither major alliance appeared to secure an outright parliamentary majority.
Adding to the dynamic, exit polls projected a historic showing for Arab parties, which were estimated to capture 17 or 18 seats amid strong voter turnout in Arab communities. Analysts noted that neither Netanyahu's coalition nor Eisenkot's bloc could easily form a government without navigating complex political landscapes, leaving open the possibility of protracted coalition negotiations or a potential unity government.
Official vote counting is expected to continue for days. Once final results are tallied, Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, will invite the party leader deemed to have the best chance of assembling a 61-seat governing majority.
