Preliminary results from Israel’s parliamentary election on Wednesday showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party leading its rival, Gadi Eisenkot, by seven seats after 70% of the votes had been counted. Neither side has secured the parliamentary majority needed to form the next government.
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Estimates of the Knesset seat distribution based on the partial count showed Netanyahu’s bloc with 54 seats, compared with 47 for Eisenkot’s bloc, while Arab lists secured 19 seats.
Earlier, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that after roughly one-third of the votes had been counted, Netanyahu’s bloc held 59 seats, compared with 46 for Eisenkot’s bloc and 15 for Arab lists.
Maariv reported that around 3 million votes had been counted, noting that one in every five votes went to Netanyahu.
Regarding the completion of the vote count, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing an official from the Central Elections Committee, that the counting of double envelopes would begin at midnight on Wednesday and conclude on Thursday.
Exit polls had indicated a very close race between the Netanyahu and Eisenkot blocs. Updated samples from Channel 13 and Israel’s public broadcaster showed the two blocs tied at 51 seats each, while Arab lists were projected to win 18 seats.
The seat projections remain preliminary pending completion of the vote count and the announcement of official results. A bloc needs at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats to form a government.
In a speech to supporters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Netanyahu pledged to form a strong right-wing government and rejected the possibility of forming a government dependent on the support of Arab parties.
Netanyahu said the right-wing bloc had a majority that warranted the formation of a strong and cohesive government, arguing that the final results would confirm Likud as Israel’s largest political party.
Eisenkot, for his part, pledged to move quickly to form a new government, despite also ruling out an alliance with Arab parties. This complicates the prospects of forming a governing coalition as the two blocs remain closely matched and no clear majority has emerged.
Tuesday’s Israeli legislative election recorded a turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 1999 and the first election since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.
