The Election in Israel

Netanyahu’s Likud appears set to become the largest party – but neither bloc secures a majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party is set to emerge as the largest in the Israeli election—but according to exit polls cited by *Haaretz*, neither bloc appears to have secured a majority.

Exit polls from the public broadcaster Kan indicate that Netanyahu’s Likud will win 24 seats in the Knesset, while the challenger party Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to win 22. Eisenkot’s bloc appears larger than Netanyahu’s—53 seats to 50—but a majority in the Knesset requires 61 seats. Consequently, at present, neither side can reach a majority without the support of one of the Arab party alliances.

A record number of eligible Israeli voters headed to the polls today, with a turnout of approximately 74 percent.

The vote count is expected to be completed by Friday, with the official results to be published on November 4. Following this, the process of forming a government will begin—a process expected to be, to say the least, complex. The party leader tasked with forming a government will have 42 days to assemble a governing coalition.

The opposition views the election as a success: “We gave them the boot”

The Israeli opposition, led by Gadi Eisenkot and his party, Yashar, views the exit poll results as a success, according to Israeli media reports. “The result shows a complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the October 7 government,” says Eisenkot, according to *Haaretz*.

Former Prime Minister and leader of the opposition party *Together* (Yachad) describes the figures as a “crushing defeat” for Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc. Left-wing leader Yair Golan stated that Israel has “fired Netanyahu’s government.”

The Arab political alliance, the Joint List, also views the polls favorably. Combined, the Arab political alliances appear set to secure around 17–18 seats in the Knesset.

“This is our victory. The high voter turnout shows that the Arab population wants to live in peace and equality,” says Baker Awawdy, a candidate for the Joint List.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says that the celebrations on the left are premature and “ridiculous.” Netanyahu has not yet commented on the figures from the exit polls.

Analysis: The election concerns a potential future without external support.

Many analysts and correspondents describe this evening’s election in Israel as a “fateful election.” They believe that Israelis are now determining the direction their country will take.

SVT’s Gilda Hamidi-Nia identifies security, borders, adversaries, military service, and the economy as key election issues. However, she notes that the election also concerns a potential future without support from the rest of the world.

A change in government would be welcomed by many other nations, according to Hamidi-Nia. A new administration could improve international relations and help break the current deadlocks regarding Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank. At the same time, however, she points out that Israel’s security policies in Gaza and Lebanon remain in place.

“Israel’s next chapter will either be more difficult for the outside world to digest, or less so.”

Adam Parsons of Sky News also suggests that the election result will affect Israel’s relationship with the rest of the world.

“The voters are shaping not only Israel’s future, but also the lives of Jewish people worldwide—and, indeed, the entire region.”

Although the election could have major consequences for the outside world, the discussion is focused primarily on domestic issues, says the BBC’s James Landale. There is hardly any talk of a two-state solution or the situation in Gaza.

But who becomes prime minister does matter—a new leader might, for instance, attempt to repair Israel’s reputation abroad, he notes.