Netanyahu Bloc Leads After Half of Israeli Votes Counted but No Majority
Exit polls show Arab parties with a record share, raising the odds of coalition bargaining and a possible repeat election if neither bloc reaches 61 seats.
- On Wednesday, anxious Israelis awaited final results after a high-turnout election where exit polls showed no clear winner. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot each captured about 51 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
- This race served as a referendum on Netanyahu's nearly unbroken 17-year rule, with election turnout reaching 77.7% of eligible voters. The Prime Minister had warned that Arab parties were heading to the polls in "unprecedented numbers," dismissing potential partnerships as treasonous.
- Eisenkot pledged to form a government after the vote, promising "a new era — an era of hope" in a speech focused on national unity. Arab-led factions appeared to secure about 18 seats, holding a potentially decisive position.
- As Netanyahu refuses to partner with Arab parties, whose constituents make up 20% of Israel's population, negotiating a majority coalition remains difficult. Eisenkot has left the door open for cooperation if parties recognize Israel as a Jewish state and Hamas as extremist.
- Israel faces weeks of political negotiating or another round of elections early next year with no clear path to a majority. The country previously held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 due to similar stalemates.
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607 Articles
Netanyahu dashes hopes of the Israelis desperate for change
It appears neither Netanyahu’s hard-line bloc nor the opposition coalition will win the seats needed to secure a straightforward majority in the Knesset. It's a frustrating result for Israelis hoping for a new direction.
What can we make of the initial results of the Israeli elections?
אַ גרױסער יום-טובֿ איז געפֿײַערט געװאָרן אין ישׂראל, דעם 27סטן אָקטאָבער — אַ יום-טובֿ פֿאַר דעמאָקראַטיע און אַ יום-טובֿ פֿאַר ייִדן. דאָ האָבן אַלע רעגיסטרירטע בירגער פֿון 18 יאָר און עלטער געהאַט די מעגלעכקײט צו שטימען פֿאַר אײנער פֿון 35 פּאָליטישע פּאַרטײען: סײַ ייִדישע און סײַ ניט-ייִדישע פּאַרטײען, כּדי אױסצוקלײַבן אַ נײַע רעגירונג פֿאַר אַ קאַדענץ װאָס — לױטן געזעץ — דאַרף אױסהאַלטן 4 יאָר. אין דער אמתן איז זעלטן װען עס האַלט אַזױ לאַנג …
In the absence of the 'double envelopes', 450,000 ballots of diplomats, police and military, the current 'premier' loses the majority in the Knesset and the possibility of forming government with its ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist allies. Gadi Eisenkot's block is far from the 61 seats needed. Read
Netanyahu defies exit polls as vote shifts in his favor, but majority remains elusive - NEW YORK TIMES POST
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc gained ground Wednesday morning as Israel counted votes from its first national election since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, but remained short of the majority needed to form a government, leaving the country facing another potential [...]
Both long-term prime minister and challenger Gadi Eisenkot see themselves as the stronger force after the elections. But Israel is in a stalemate, the opposition cannot overthrow Netanyahu without Arab parties.
Netanyahu edges ahead of Eisenkot but no majority to form government
TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu edged ahead of opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot in the country’s tightly fought election, though a surge in the Arab vote ensured neither has a clear path toward forming a government.Netanyahu’s right-wing religious alliance was projected to win 53 seats in the 120-member parliament as of Wednesday afternoon, compared with a below-expected 48 for Eisenkot’s bloc. That was after almost 93% of vo…
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