Israeli exit polls show deadlock, setback for Netanyahu

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s wartime election appeared deadlocked on Tuesday, October 27, exit polls showed, a potential setback for veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the projections hold, with neither side having a clear path to power but rival Gadi Eisenkot’s larger bloc potentially giving him the first chance to form a government. The stalemate could yet work in Netanyahu’s favor, allowing the prime minister to remain in power in a caretaker capacity while parties try to forge a governing coalition. Turnout was 77. 7%, Israel’s Central Elections Committee said, the highest in more than two decades and around 7 percentage points higher than in the previous election in 2022.

Must Read Fastest turnout in 45 years as Israelis pass wartime judgment on Netanyahu Israel’s three major networks updated their exit polls, giving Eisenkot’s bloc a two-seat edge over Netanyahu’s Likud-led camp, at 52-50, respectively. The remaining 18 seats were allocated to unaligned Arab parties in the exit polls. But Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, has all but ruled out forming a government with them, complicating his path to a majority despite his bloc’s lead. Some Israeli media outlets, including pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, projected a far stronger showing for Netanyahu and his parties, saying they would collectively win 60 seats. Final results could take days, and Israel’s fragmented political system leaves smaller parties potential kingmakers. No single party has ever won 61 seats outright in the 120-seat Knesset, making coalitions the norm. It was the first election since the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Anti-Netanyahu boost While there was no clear outcome, the strength of the anti-Netanyahu opposition was evident in…