Israel’s election ended Tuesday with no clear winner, exit polls indicate, likely setting off weeks of jockeying before a prime minister is declared or another round of elections is scheduled.
Exit polls released by major Israeli TV stations suggest that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc nor that of his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority.
Those polls indicated that Netanyahu’s bloc won 50 seats, the opposition won 52-53 and Arab parties won 17-18. A strong showing by Arab-led parties could allow them to decide the next prime minister, but both blocs have until now refused to partner with them.
Like all surveys, exit polls are subject to potential error. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours. Final results are expected in the coming days and may vary from the exit polls.
An inconclusive result would leave Israel in political limbo after the country’s first national election since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
The race is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly unbroken 17-year rule, which had left Israelis bitterly divided on a host of issues even before the deadliest attack in its history. The resulting wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, along with settler violence in the occupied West Bank, have stoked worldwide outrage, straining ties with Israel’s closest allies and fueling a rise in antisemitism.
Among Israelis, the election is widely seen as a struggle over the character of the state, pitting Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and religious allies against those seeking to preserve its liberal and secular foundations.
