Netanyahu Celebrates Lead in Exit Polls, Slams Arab Party Alliances

By מורן אזולאי

Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba

CenterCharged tone

Hebrew · 3 newsrooms covering

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory based on exit polls showing his bloc leading, though short of a majority. He celebrated the Likud as Israel's largest party and vehemently opposed any government coalition involving Arab parties, calling it "a disgrace." Netanyahu urged the "Zionist majority" to unite. Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot of Yisrael Beiteinu stated Netanyahu should have resigned given the results.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated exit poll leads, declaring the Likud Israel's largest party.
Netanyahu strongly opposed forming a government with Arab parties, calling it "a disgrace."
Exit polls indicated Netanyahu's bloc leading, but short of the 61 seats needed for a majority.
Netanyahu urged the "Zionist majority" to unite to ensure Israel's future.
Gadi Eisenkot stated Netanyahu should have resigned in the face of a Zionist majority.

Netanyahu Celebrates Lead in Exit Polls, Slams Arab Party Alliances — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed supporters late Tuesday night following dramatic shifts in exit polls that suggested his bloc held a lead, though not the 61 seats needed for a majority. He declared the Likud party the largest in Israel, criticizing television channels for not predicting this outcome. However, Netanyahu cautioned that final results were still pending, expected within a day or two.

Netanyahu emphasized that the right-wing bloc has a "complete and decisive majority" among Jewish voters and those who support a Jewish state, calling for the formation of a strong national-right government. He strongly condemned the idea of forming a government with Arab parties, calling it "a disgrace" and accusing some leaders of the "change bloc" of normalizing such alliances. He stated that these parties are anti-Zionist and should not be part of any government, particularly those that "attack IDF soldiers."

He urged the "Zionist majority" to "wake up and unite" to ensure Israel's future, though it remained unclear if he was seeking unity with Zionist parties from the opposing bloc, many of whom had ruled out sitting with him before the election.

Exit polls showed a significant shift from earlier predictions. While initial polls at 10 p.m. indicated a slight lead for the "change bloc," later updates showed the Likud strengthening. The latest Channel 12 poll showed Netanyahu's bloc leading with 52 seats to the change bloc's 49, with Arab parties securing 19 seats. This contrasts with previous elections where Likud consistently won at least 30 seats; these polls showed the party receiving between 27 and 30 seats, and Netanyahu's bloc falling from 64 to between 51 and 52 seats.

Earlier, Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Gadi Eisenkot, presented as the "next prime minister," stated that Netanyahu faced a Zionist majority and that a "worthy leader would have announced his resignation today."