Exit polls in Israel’s pivotal general election suggest that no party has secured a clear path to a parliamentary majority, leaving veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot facing an uncertain political outcome.
Two Israeli media outlets projected that Eisenkot’s Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties would collectively win 51 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, matching the projected total for Netanyahu’s Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies.
However, a third broadcaster’s exit poll gave Netanyahu’s bloc a lead of three seats, highlighting uncertainty over the final distribution of parliamentary seats.
The results suggest that Arab parties could play a decisive role in determining the formation of the next government, with exit polls projecting that they would win between 18 and 19 seats.
Meanwhile, voter turnout was reported to be particularly high, with the Central Elections Committee saying more than 77 per cent of eligible voters had cast their ballots by the time polls closed at 10 p.m. local time.
The turnout was the highest recorded at that hour since 1999, according to the committee.
The final outcome is expected to determine the balance of power in the Knesset and the prospects for forming a new governing coalition.
