Israel Votes in Tied Contest

Jerusalem, Oct. 28: The final numbers had not yet arrived, but the mood in both campaign headquarters was already shifting.

Exit polls released by major Israeli television networks indicate a near tie between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot. Channel 12 projects the Netanyahu bloc will secure 52 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, while the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot’s Yashar party is projected at 49. Channel 13, which released its numbers earlier, indicated a complete tie with each bloc holding 51 seats. Both networks projected Likud as the largest single party, with an estimated 27 seats compared to 21 for Yashar. Arab parties are projected to win 19 seats combined, a figure that builds on their performance in the 2022 election.

The election was framed by many voters as a judgment on Netanyahu’s handling of the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent war in Gaza. Eisenkot addressed supporters at Yashar headquarters, asserting that the public had voted for a change. “The old era is over, and Israel is starting a new era,” he said. Netanyahu countered that Likud remains the dominant force and called for a “national right-wing government.” He claimed the right bloc holds “a decisive majority” and accused television channels of attempting to dampen his supporters’ enthusiasm by projecting stronger results for the opposition.

Other political leaders reacted to the preliminary numbers. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated his party was projected to win seven seats and pledged to continue expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the results for his Otzma Yehudit party. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, said voters had effectively “fired the Netanyahu government.” Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra’am party, which is projected to win about seven seats, expressed hope that final results would give the opposition bloc and his party the 61 seats required for a majority.

Turnout was the highest recorded since 1999, reaching 77.7 percent of eligible voters, according to the Central Elections Committee. This represents a 7.1 percentage point increase from 2022. The military reported that turnout among soldiers passed 68 percent by 5 p.m. local time. More than 60,000 Israelis returned from abroad to cast ballots. Polling stations closed at 10 p.m., though anyone already in line was permitted to vote.

Tensions flared over the treatment of Arab voters. Arab party leaders accused Netanyahu of inciting hatred against Palestinian citizens of Israel. In posts on X on Tuesday, Netanyahu described Arab voters as “Muslim Brotherhood supporters” and accused them of “raiding the polling stations and stealing the elections.” Yousef Jabareen of the Joint List said Netanyahu knew Arab voters “can put an end to his bloody reign.” Abbas called the remarks a “scare tactic to mobilise right-wing voters.”

Coalition negotiations are expected to start as soon as the vote is finalized. President Isaac Herzog will consult with party leaders and nominate the candidate he believes is best positioned to form a government. That candidate will have up to 42 days to build a coalition. If no government is formed, Netanyahu and his cabinet will remain in a caretaker capacity, and failed negotiations will trigger new elections. The final tally is expected by Friday, with official results published on November 4.