JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli voters delivered a sharp rebuke Tuesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with exit polls indicating voters gave his opponents a solid majority in the next parliament. Whether those disparate parties can form a government is uncertain and will likely take weeks of haggling.
The easiest path would involve Netanyahu’s main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, partnering with Arab-led parties, but that could prove politically difficult and potentially alienate other opposition factions.
The exit polls released by major Israeli TV stations suggested that Netanyahu’s bloc won 50 seats, the opposition won 52 and Arab parties won 18. That would set the stage for weeks of political jockeying before a prime minister is declared — or another round of elections is called.
Eisenkot said the exit polls show a “lack of confidence” in Netanyahu and vowed to form a new government. Arab voters celebrated the exit polls while supporters of far-right parties aligned with Netanyahu expressed disappointment.
Netanyahu had yet to make a public statement two hours after the exit polls were released.
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 the country’s 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. The opposition may soon have to grapple with the social divisions — between right and left, and between Jews and Arabs — that have widened during Netanyahu’s long and polarizing rule.
The process of coalition building will begin
Voter turnout was the highest since 1999, with more than 77% of eligible voters casting ballots, according to the Central Elections Committee. Over 7 million people were eligible to vote, and tens of thousands reportedly arrived from overseas.
Israel’s president will be tasked with asking the party leader with the best prospect of forming a government, usually one with the most seats, to cobble together a coalition. If Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud emerges as the largest party, he could claim that right.
Meanwhile, there will be heavy pressure on Eisenkot to reach a deal with the Arab parties, while Netanyahu and his allies are likely to cast any such alliance as illegitimate and even treasonous.
If no one can cobble together a majority coalition, new elections could be held early next year. Israel held five elections between April 2019 and November 2022 because of a similar stalemate.
No single party has ever won an outright majority in the country’s 120-seat parliament, forcing political leaders to forge coalitions. Minority governments are also possible, but they must rely on support or cooperation from parties outside the government to pass legislation.
Netanyahu had warned earlier that Arab parties could make or break the election, saying they were receiving “truly massive support” and heading to the polls in “unprecedented numbers.”
Eisenkot says exit polls point to ‘lack of confidence’ in Netanyahu
As the exit polls were broadcast, supporters at Eisenkot’s party headquarters jumped for joy, chanting his name. Eisenkot said the election results pointed to a “complete lack of confidence” in Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition.
“I will act immediately to carry out the people’s mandate, replace Netanyahu’s government and form a Zionist government committed to military conscription as soon as possible,” Eisenkot said in a statement, referring to the draft of ultra-Orthodox Jews into Israel’s compulsory military.
At Netanyahu’s party headquarters, filled mainly with media, the few supporters present chanted Netanyahu’s name, draping themselves in flags with his face on them and kissing posters.
Netanyahu’s supporters see him as a steady hand and a consummate statesman who has led Israel through a war of redemption after the country’s darkest hour. They think he is protecting Israel’s security and Jewish identity in the face of international pressure and liberal elites at home.
His detractors see him as a polarizing leader who, beset by an ongoing corruption trial, dragged out the war in Gaza and its hostage crisis for political reasons. They say he is undermining Israel’s independent judiciary and weakening its democratic underpinnings. And they accuse him of abetting the system that has allowed ultra-Orthodox religious Jews to avoid military conscription.
“The present government is driving the country into the ground,” voter Angela Bengur said in Jerusalem.
Eisenkot is viewed by supporters as a capable leader with sterling security credentials who, along with his likely governing partners, could act as a bulwark against creeping illiberalism. As someone personally touched by the conflict — his son and two nephews were killed in Gaza — his backers believe that he feels deeply the pain that still courses through Israel.
Parties that likely would support Eisenkot have vowed to improve Israel’s international standing and work to conscript ultra-Orthodox men while bolstering the independence of the judiciary.
The elections are about “who serves and who evades service — who takes an active part in building this country and who doesn’t,” said voter Nisso Shitrit in Tel Aviv’s Jaffa neighborhood.
Oct. 7 and its aftermath were a major focus of the election
The election is Israel’s first national vote since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza and related conflicts. In Tel Aviv, families of some killed on Oct. 7 or former hostages held a moment of silence. “Remember all those whose voices are no more,” said Yona Adam, whose daughter Mapal Adam was killed.
Israel has found itself increasingly isolated over its conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Public support among Americans has plummeted, and partners in Europe and elsewhere have slapped sanctions on Israel. Netanyahu faces an international arrest warrant over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza, allegations he denies.
Also hanging over the election were lingering tensions with Iran. Netanyahu ramped up threats ahead of the vote, warning Tehran it would face “a devastating blow” if it attacked Israel.
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Associated Press writers across Israel contributed.
By TIA GOLDENBERG and CARA ANNA
Associated Press
