After record turnout, Israel’s economic future is on the ballot as Netanyahu offers grim forecast
A close contest takes shape
Voting ended Tuesday night, although people already waiting in line were allowed to cast ballots. Initial exit polls showed no clear overall winner, leaving the contest’s outcome uncertain.
The surveys put Netanyahu’s Likud slightly ahead of Eisenkot’s party. But opposition parties, including two parties with predominantly Arab support, had a combined advantage over Netanyahu’s allies. Exit polls have sometimes been inaccurate, and a close race makes early projections harder to interpret.
Turnout draws attention
Voter participation reached a level described as a record, with turnout by midday the highest in decades. Participation appeared especially strong among Arab citizens, who account for about one-fifth of Israel’s population.
By late afternoon, turnout in some Arab-majority towns had surpassed the totals recorded there in the 2022 election. Netanyahu used racially charged language to question the high participation and urged his supporters to vote, while election officials reported no sign of widespread irregularities.
War shapes the campaign
This was Israel’s first election since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, which set off three years of war and left Gaza largely destroyed, with nearly all residents displaced. The attacks were the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
Netanyahu’s coalition has promoted a more religious country and tighter Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza. Opponents have called the election a chance to defend democracy and reverse Israel’s declining standing abroad.
Opposition and Netanyahu’s claims
Eisenkot and other opposition leaders have demanded accountability for Netanyahu’s handling of security before the Oct. 7 attacks. They have also promised to address Israel’s international image and curb extremist violence by Israelis against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu, 77, has led Israeli politics for decades and warned in recent days that Israel could face annihilation without his leadership. President Trump endorsed him, but analysts questioned whether that support would change many voters’ decisions.
Key points
- Exit polls showed Likud narrowly ahead, while the opposition bloc led overall.
- Turnout was unusually high, including in some Arab-majority towns.
- The election followed the Oct. 7 attacks and years of war.
- Opposition leaders pledged accountability and action against extremist violence in the West Bank.