Israel election results: exit polls point to deadlock between Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs

No bloc reaches a majority

By shortly after 6am in Tel Aviv, exit polls offered no clear victor in the election. Both blocs were projected to fall below the 61 seats needed to govern.

Earlier projections gave Eisenkot’s bloc a narrow lead. Exit polls in Israel can change after release, and the final tally has often shifted by several seats; counting was still under way, with more than 30% of votes tabulated.

Palestinian parties gain support

Palestinian parties are projected to win as many as 18 Knesset seats, compared with 10 previously. The increase could reshape the political landscape. Experts said Eisenkot may need to speak with the Joint List and Ra’am if he cannot secure a majority. Those discussions could take weeks.

Leaders address supporters

Netanyahu spoke at a rally in Jerusalem shortly after 3am. He said official results would show that “Likud is the largest party in Israel,” and argued for a strong right-wing government without support from Palestinian parties.

In Tel Aviv, Eisenkot told supporters that voters had rejected Netanyahu’s continued service as prime minister. He urged Netanyahu not to use national security for political purposes and raised concern about a possible attack on Iran during the period of uncertainty.

Polling deadline dispute

The committee rejected that allegation, saying it had found no evidence of systematic tampering. The final results were still pending.