Neither bloc reaches 61; Israel election appears without clear winner as Netanyahu, opponent Eisenkot, fall short of majorities

Exit polls show no majority

Public broadcaster Kan 11 and Channel 13 each projected 51 seats for the pro-Netanyahu bloc and 51 for the anti-Netanyahu opposition. Channel 12 put Netanyahu’s camp at 52 seats and the opposition at 49.

Netanyahu claims Likud lead

Netanyahu told cheering supporters early Wednesday that the country was still waiting for the final results. He said his Likud party was Israel’s largest, and vowed to form a new right-wing government.

Kan 11’s latest projection gave Likud 27 seats, compared with 25 in its earlier poll. Netanyahu also rejected forming a government that depended on support from Arab parties, which made strong gains in Tuesday’s election.

Security and turnout in focus

Netanyahu said Israel had a “unique opportunity” with US President Donald Trump to end what he described as the Iranian threat. His remarks came as the election left the balance of power unresolved.

The election committee reported record-high turnout as of 2 p.m., halfway through voting. The overall result remained uncertain as exit polls showed the blocs tied or separated by only a narrow margin.