Channel 12 Exit Poll Shows Right-Wing Bloc Leading Election

An updated exit poll from Israel's Channel 12, compiled by sociologist Mano Geva, indicates a shift in the election results, with the right-wing bloc now leading. Initial projections had shown the anti-Netanyahu bloc with a two-seat advantage. However, the revised figures released Wednesday morning show the right-wing bloc securing 52 seats, while the left-wing bloc holds 49, and Arab parties have 19. The Likud party, led by Binyamin Netanyahu, is projected to be the largest single party with 27 seats. Other parties mentioned include Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! with 21 seats and Naftali Bennett's BeYachad with 12 seats.

These adjustments by Channel 12 align with revisions made by other Israeli broadcasters. News 13 and Kan 11 also updated their exit polls overnight, each increasing their seat projection for Likud by two, to 27. Shmuel Rosner, an observer for News 13, noted the significant discrepancy between pre-election surveys, which sometimes placed Likud as low as 19 seats, and the latest exit poll data. Rosner commented that "The picture of the right-wing bloc is very different from the polls. In the polls, Likud was much weaker, and its satellite parties were much stronger. The satellite parties were defeated."

While the three major channels have converged on their estimates for Likud's strength, with some approaching the figures reported by Shlomo Filber on Channel 14, discrepancies remain regarding the overall seat distribution between the blocs. The article also mentions preliminary results from vote counting, with 908 polling stations reporting, showing Likud with 27.75% of the vote, Yashar! with 16.34%, and BeYachad with 8.99%. It also lists potential new Likud Knesset members.