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Israeli voter turnout hits 53-year high as Netanyahu fights to stay in power

Record turnout could reshape the Knesset as smaller parties near the threshold and final results may not be clear until Thursday.

  • On Tuesday, Israelis surged to the polls at the fastest rate in 53 years, passing wartime judgment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the first election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.
  • Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader with 19 years in office, faces intense scrutiny over security failures and polarizing policies that critics argue have deepened international isolation and weakened democratic institutions.
  • Challenger Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, campaigns on accountability, stating, "I am convinced that by the end of today, we will see a change." His platform appeals to security hawks and those opposing Netanyahu's far-right coalition.
  • Arab voters are participating in "unprecedented" numbers, with Islamist Ra'am party head Mansour Abbas hoping turnout will surpass 70 per cent in Arab communities, prompting far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to warn of Abbas-led government.
  • Opinion polls show a tight race with neither leader facing an easy path to power; Netanyahu could remain as caretaker if neither candidate forms a coalition within Israel's 120-seat parliament.
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Lean Left

The elections were marked by an exceptionally high turnout, with Arab voters also turning out in large numbers.

·Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Center

Netanyahu's Likud party, according to forecasts, has become the strongest force in parliament, but does not reach a majority with its partners. The opposition says that its government is "fired."

The IndependentThe Independent
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The Independent (US)The Independent (US)
Lean Left

Israel election sees record voter turnout but polls suggest no clear winner

·London, United Kingdom
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t-online broke the news in Berlin, Germany on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
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