Netanyahu trails opposition in ‘Israel’ election exit polls

• Exit polls put Netanyahu’s bloc behind the opposition by two to three seats, with neither side reaching the 61 seats needed for a majority. 
• Arab-majority parties were projected to win a combined 17 to 18 seats, potentially giving them leverage in coalition negotiations. 
• The projections are preliminary and may change as official votes are counted.

‘Israel’s’ opposition bloc held a narrow edge over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp in initial exit polls on Tuesday, falling short of a parliamentary majority, as opposition leaders declared the results a rejection of his government.

Polls by ‘Israeli’ broadcasters Channels 11, 12 and 13 projected the opposition bloc would win 52 to 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 50 for Netanyahu’s camp. His Likud party was projected to remain the largest single party, with 24 to 25 seats.

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, whose centrist Yashar party was projected to secure 21 to 23 seats, said the preliminary figures showed a “complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the Oct. 7 government.”

Yair Lapid, another opposition leader, described Netanyahu’s bloc as having suffered a “crushing defeat,” while left-wing leader Yair Golan said voters had “fired the Netanyahu government.”

The projections suggested that Netanyahu’s opponents could seek to form a coalition with smaller right-wing parties that had signaled a willingness to work with Eisenkot, potentially ending the prime minister’s hold on power. However, the opposition bloc remained short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, leaving the final balance of power uncertain.

Arab-majority parties also appeared to make gains, with the Raam party projected to win seven seats and the Joint List 10 to 11, giving them a combined total of 17 to 18. Although neither grouping was formally part of the opposition bloc, both had expressed openness to supporting it.

The election was marked by high turnout, with voters viewing the contest as pivotal for Israel’s political future. In the previous election, Likud won 32 seats, allowing Netanyahu to form a government with far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies after other right-wing parties balked at the corruption cases facing him.

Read more: Arab-majority parties make gains in ‘Israeli’ elections, exit polls show