Netanyahu and Eisenkot Claim Mandates After Split Vote Leaves Blocs Short
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot both pledged to form a government on Wednesday after exit polls showed their respective political blocs locked at around 51 seats each, falling well short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Political coalitions across the country faced immediate gridlock following the vote, which drew voters in numbers not seen in decades.
Record 78 Percent Turnout Leaves Both Blocs Short of 61 Seats
Exit polls from three mainstream Israeli television networks projected both Netanyahu’s hard-right camp and Eisenkot’s opposition alliance to secure around 51 seats each, while Arab Israeli parties surged to a projected 17 to 18 seats after national voter turnout reached nearly 78 percent, the highest recorded since 1999.
Addressing supporters in Jerusalem at 3:00 am, the 77-year-old Netanyahu called for a “strong government of the right” and stated that “the Jewish and Zionist majority must unite,” while highlighting joint security actions alongside US President Donald Trump. Speaking to supporters in Tel Aviv, Eisenkot, a former military chief, rejected Netanyahu’s claims, describing him as “a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people’s trust,” while urging swift work to form a new coalition and calling a potential second election a mistake. Arab Israeli list leader Mansour Abbas noted that the right suffered a major loss and signaled openness to working with Eisenkot, though Eisenkot stated during the campaign that he would not form a government with Arab lawmakers.
This legislative vote marks the first national election conducted in Israel since the October 7, 2023 attack.
