Exit Polls Show No Clear Winner In Israel Election
Exit Polls Show No Clear Winner In Israel Election
Israel’s national election has produced no clear winner, according to exit polls released on Tuesday, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, facing an uncertain battle to secure a parliamentary majority.
The projections by major Israeli television stations indicate that neither political bloc has won the 61 seats required to control parliament, raising the prospect of weeks of political negotiations before a government can be formed.
The election is Israel’s first national vote since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack and has been widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership during the country’s wartime period.
However, the exit polls remain preliminary, with the possibility of differences as official results emerge. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours, while final figures are expected in the coming days.
The closely contested election comes amid unresolved conflicts, public anger over the October 2023 attack and deep divisions over Netanyahu’s long tenure in office.
According to CNBC, Netanyahu, who cast his ballot shortly after midday, is facing opposition from several parties seeking to end his rule, with Eisenkot emerging as his main challenger.
Turnout was reported to have reached more than 74 per cent of eligible voters by 8 p.m., according to the Central Elections Committee. The figure was eight percentage points higher than turnout recorded at the same time during the 2022 election and the highest for that point in the day in decades.
The vote has exposed broader divisions over Israel’s political direction, with Netanyahu’s ultranationalist and religious allies facing opponents who want to preserve the country’s liberal and secular foundations.
Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, alongside settler violence in the occupied West Bank, have also fuelled international criticism, strained relations with some of the country’s closest allies and contributed to rising antisemitism, according to the report.
More than seven million Israelis were eligible to vote, while tens of thousands of citizens were reported to have travelled from abroad to participate in the election.
