Israel election deadlocked as Eisenkot bloc edges Netanyahu

· Politics · Israel

Israelis voted on Tuesday in the first general election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and exit polls showed no clear winner. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc was projected to hold a narrow lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp, with one tally giving 52 seats to 50; Likud was still projected as the largest single party. Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades, with tens of thousands of Israelis flying home to vote. Neither bloc appeared to have the 61 seats needed to govern, leaving President Isaac Herzog to decide who gets the first chance to form a coalition after weeks of horse-trading. Arab-Israeli parties were projected to win as many as 18 seats, a record that could make them indispensable to any opposition-led government.

Why it matters：The result will decide the direction of Israel's wars in Gaza and Iran and the future of its judicial overhaul. Because the Arab bloc is now a decisive force, any coalition deal will also test whether Israeli politics can integrate its Palestinian citizens.

Key points

  • Three exit polls put Eisenkot narrowly ahead, but Likud was projected as the largest single party.
  • Turnout of 77.7% was the highest in more than two decades.
  • Neither bloc reached the 61-seat threshold needed for a Knesset majority.

Sources (original reporting)

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