Israel Election: Polls Close Amid High Voter Turnout as Exit Polls Show Tight Race
Polls have closed across Israel in the country's first general election since the October 7, 2023 attacks, following a day of notably high voter turnout. The ballot is widely viewed as a referendum on the leadership of long-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose right-wing coalition faces a formidable challenge from a united opposition bloc.
Initial exit polls indicate that the centrist "change bloc" led by Yashar Party chief and former military commander Gadi Eisenkot has won the largest number of seats in the 120-seat Knesset. However, the projections show Eisenkot's bloc falling short of an outright majority. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's Likud party is on track to remain the largest single party in the Israeli parliament.
Campaigning in the pivotal election has been heavily dominated by national security, post-war accountability, economic pressures, judicial reform, and debates surrounding military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men. Arab Israeli parties also saw a notable surge, projected to secure a record-high number of seats.
Official election results will begin rolling in following the closure of voting, though complete tallies—including hundreds of thousands of military and absentee ballots—are expected to take days. Once finalized, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult with party leaders to determine who holds the best prospect of successfully forming a governing coalition, a process that could require weeks of negotiations.
