TV Polls Show Likud Largest Party, Netanyahu Faces Coalition Challenges
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Israeli television exit polls indicate the Likud party will be the largest in the Knesset, though Prime Minister Netanyahu faces challenges forming a government. Arab parties are projected for a significant gain of 17-18 seats, while two smaller parties may fall below the electoral threshold. Poll results vary, with one outlier showing a potential 60-seat coalition bloc.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Exit polls show Likud as the largest party, but Netanyahu faces coalition formation difficulties.
- Arab parties are projected for a significant surge, potentially winning 17-18 Knesset seats.
- Two smaller parties are predicted to fall below the electoral threshold, according to polls.
- Polls indicate a historic decline for the ultra-Orthodox Shas party.
- Exit poll results for the coalition bloc range from 50 to a high of 60 seats.
Following the closure of polling stations, television networks in Israel have released their exit poll results, offering a preliminary look at the upcoming Knesset's composition. The Likud party is projected to be the largest single party, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to face significant difficulties in forming a government. Most polls indicate that the "change bloc", parties opposing Netanyahu, will hold a slight majority.
A notable trend highlighted by the polls is a dramatic surge for Arab parties, which are collectively predicted to win between 17 and 18 seats. Conversely, two smaller parties, one led by Gidon Sa'ar (implied by "של וינטר") and another by Yifat Shasha-Biton and Ze'ev Elkin (implied by "של הנדל וזליכה"), are shown falling below the electoral threshold.
Additionally, polls suggest a historic decline for the ultra-Orthodox party Shas. The coalition bloc's seat count varies across the surveys: Channel 11, 12, and 13 show it with 50 seats, while the opposition bloc (excluding Arab parties) is at 52-53 seats. Other polls from i24news and Channel 16 place the coalition bloc between 53 and 55 seats.
The most outlier poll comes from Channel 14, which projects the coalition bloc securing 60 seats, with Likud alone taking 30 seats, the highest individual party result among all surveys. The average projected seat distribution across parties includes Likud at 26, Yesh Atid at 21, and the National Unity party at 13.
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