Arab parties loom large as israeli exit polls suggest no clear winner in pivotal general election

Exit polls shift overnight

Initial projections from Kan, Channel 12 and Channel 13 gave Eisenkot’s bloc 52 to 53 Knesset seats, compared with 50 for Netanyahu’s governing coalition. At Eisenkot’s Yashar party headquarters in Tel Aviv, supporters cheered and chanted against Netanyahu.

In the early hours of Wednesday, the broadcasters revised their estimates. Kan and Channel 13 showed the blocs tied at 51 seats, while Channel 12 projected 52 for Netanyahu’s bloc and 49 for Eisenkot’s.

Arab parties may hold balance

The United Arab List and the Joint List were projected to win several additional seats, with combined estimates of 18 or 19. The projections followed reportedly strong turnout among Arab Israelis, who make up about a fifth of the population and often identify as Palestinian citizens of Israel.

United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas said he hoped his party and the Change Bloc could reach 61 seats. Joint List chairman Yousef Jabareen said the grouping could not be disregarded in any political scenario.

Coalition talks could take weeks

After final results are confirmed and political factions are consulted, Israel’s president will ask the party leader he considers most likely to succeed to form a coalition government. The process could take weeks. The election was viewed by Israelis as highly consequential, with the result potentially shaping both the country’s leadership and its hard-line, religious-nationalist direction.

Turnout reaches historic level

Turnout stood at 77.7% when polls closed at 22:00 local time, or 20:00 GMT. The Central Elections Committee said that was the highest figure recorded at that hour since 1999.

The committee rejected a request to extend voting hours, saying circumstances did not justify it and that turnout reflected strong public engagement. Campaigners were still canvassing outside a polling station in northern Tel Aviv near the end of voting.