Bennett and Lapid Party Headquarters Silent Amid Disappointment Over Exit Polls

Headquarters for the "Achdut" party, led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, were subdued following the release of exit poll results, which projected the party to win only around 12 seats. Despite the disappointment, which contrasted with the high expectations set during the campaign, some party activists expressed a desire to wait for the final vote count, particularly from soldiers' ballots.

Bennett, the party chairman, had previously stated that the size of his party was not critical and that he, Lieberman, or Eisenkot could potentially be candidates for prime minister. Even the projection that the "change bloc" would lead with approximately 52 seats compared to Netanyahu's bloc with around 50, and that Eisenkot would be the first to receive a mandate from the president, did not lift the mood at the "Achdut" headquarters.

While other parties, like Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar" and the "Democrats," celebrated their projected results, "Achdut" headquarters remained quiet, with no cheers or applause heard. Bennett himself had not yet issued an official statement or arrived at the headquarters at the time of reporting.

One activist stated, "We remain optimistic and are waiting for the final results, until the last vote is counted. Nothing has been decided yet." Another expressed hope, suggesting, "I suggest waiting for the double envelopes. I believe there will still be a change, we have many votes there among the soldiers, so we will wait for that and see." Regarding the projected seat count, an activist commented, "I would have liked it to be more, but what will come will come. I assume it will be more."