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<\/a><\/p>\nMembers of the media working and conducting on camera interviews at the Likud Party election-night event at Teddy Hall, International Convention Center on October 27, 2026 in Jerusalem.(Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
However, the results showed that the rival bloc of opposition parties led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot also does not have the requisite 61 seats, out of 120, needed to form a government either. <\/p>\n
Exit polls, taken throughout election day, are only an indication of the final results. It can take hours or days for the official count to become clear, and the final results will only be certified on Nov. 4.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe initial exit poll results point to an absolute lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the government responsible for Oct. 7 among the majority of Israeli citizens,\u201d Eisenkot said in a statement. \u201cIf these results are final, it is a victory for Israel\u2019s Zionist, national majority.\u201d <\/p>\n
However, analysts who spoke to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency after the exit polls were announced said it was too early to say what would happen next. They pointed out that no side appeared to be victorious.<\/p>\n
They also said the biggest surprise was the apparent large turnout of Arab voters, some 20% of Israel\u2019s population, who appeared to have boosted the size of the two Arab parties. Since both blocs have rejected the prospect of including Arab parties in their coalition, the growth in the Arab votes is another reason neither bloc has the necessary numbers to be able to form a government.<\/p>\n
\u201cNetanyahu did much better than anyone thought,\u201d said Professor Jonathan Rynhold, from the department of political studies at Bar-Ilan University. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually unbelievable how well he has done,\u201d he said, but added that \u201che has cannibalized his own bloc,\u201d meaning most of the voters shifted away from other right-wing parties that would have strengthened his coalition. <\/p>\n
Rynhold concluded, \u201cunless there is some massive change, Netanyahu does not have a government.\u201d<\/p>\n
But he noted that the opposition might not be able to form a government either. \u201cThey won\u2019t go with Bibi [Netanyahu] and won\u2019t have a minority government with the Arabs either. So if the opposition sticks to what they\u2019ve said, then I am sure Netanyahu will be happy to go to another election.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the biggest surprise was the Arab vote.<\/p>\n
While some Israelis might see Arabs\u2019 high voter turnout as a dangerous development, he said, others will say it is \u201ca Zionist victory that at last they are taking part in the Jewish state\u201d rather than staying home.<\/p>\n
Rahat said that constant incitement against Arab citizens of Israel by government figures such as far-right Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir might have been what motivated them to vote in such unprecedented numbers on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The exit polls indicate that the Joint List of Arab parties could gain up to 10 seats, with Ra\u2019am, the Islamist party, getting as many as 7. In the previous Knesset, the two parties had 10 collectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what the path forward is now. Ten years ago I would have said they would find a solution, but since then we\u2019ve had one election after the other, that is now a viable option,\u201d Rahat said.<\/p>\n
He added that just because Likud was the largest party did not mean they would have the ability to form a government, especially because the exit polls seem to suggest that Eisenkot\u2019s bloc will be the largest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are still only exit polls and things can still change,\u201d he said. But if Eisenkot does lead the largest bloc, \u201cthey could still make changes in the Knesset, which might change the reality,\u201d Rahat added.<\/p>\n
It was a dramatic day in Israel, with voter turnout reaching its highest level in decades, according to the Central Elections Committee. Final figures published at 10 p.m. showed that some 77.7% of the 7.3 million eligible voters had cast their ballot.<\/p>\n
Indeed, lines at polling stations were longer than usual, with some Israelis waiting more than an hour to cast their votes.<\/p>\n
Israelis have described this election, the first national election since Hamas\u2019s Oct. 7, 2023 attack, as a battle over the country\u2019s character and how best to address the security concerns that have arisen over the past three years. <\/p>\n
Netanyahu and his coalition partners, a bloc comprising mostly far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, have largely campaigned on a platform of protecting Israel from existential threats, including what they describe as security threats posed by the country\u2019s Arab population.<\/p>\n
Casting his ballot on Tuesday morning, Netanyahu said he was voting \u201cFor the future of the State of Israel.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot leave this battle in the hands of the left and the Arab parties,\u201d Netanyahu said, accusing them of wanting \u201cto bring an end to the Jewish state.\u201d <\/p>\n
Adalah, a legal center for Arab minority rights, filed a complaint with the Central Elections Committee. It said in a statement that \u201csenior government officials have been inciting against Palestinian citizens of Israel exercising their right to vote as turnout in Arab towns rises.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group of parties trying to oust Netanyahu \u2013 the \u201cchange bloc\u201d \u2013 has argued that the election is a vote on Israel\u2019s future as a liberal and democratic nation. <\/p>\n
The opposition has framed the election as a referendum on Netanyahu\u2019s handling of the aftermath of Oct. 7 and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and against Iran.<\/p>\n
After casting his vote in the city of Herzliya, Eisenkot told the crowd: \u201cWe are setting Israel on a new path. We will be worthy of your trust. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is traditional for party leaders to cast their votes in front of cameras and to campaign right up until polling stations close. Netanyahu and his coalition partners traveled the country on Tuesday trying to mobilize their supporters, warning they would not be re-elected unless their supporters turned out to vote.<\/p>\n
However, under Israel\u2019s system of proportional representation, differences in turnout among communities could drastically change the political map. Larger numbers of Arab voters, who tend to vote for one of the two Arab political factions, can affect the distribution of seats and the balance of power between the blocs, potentially complicating Netanyahu\u2019s efforts to form a government.<\/p>\n
While none of the three smaller parties \u2014 Amcha Yisrael, the Reservists-Economic Party, and the Haredi Public Party \u2014 appear to have gained enough votes to enter the Knesset, votes yet to be counted from polling stations on army bases and by diplomats stationed abroad could give them a boost, which would further change the political map when the final results are in.<\/p>\n
This is a developing story.<\/p>\n