Election Polls Show No Clear Majority for Any Bloc

Arab parties achieved a historic surge, with projections placing their representation between 16 and 18 seats. The election saw a record voter turnout of 77.7%, the highest since 2001. Two parties, "Am Israel" and "HaMiluimnikim VeHaKalkalit," failed to pass the electoral threshold, while Kikar HaShabbat reported that Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party was also projected to fall below the threshold.

Following the release of the polls, Gadi Eisenkot called the results a complete vote of no confidence in Netanyahu's government and vowed to immediately work to form a new Zionist coalition. Yair Golan of the Democrats party declared that the public had "fired" the current administration, while opposition leader Yair Lapid hailed the outcome as a decisive public mandate. Conversely, Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed victory, emphasizing that Likud remains the largest party and asserting that the right-wing bloc holds a clear majority among the Jewish population. He explicitly rejected any reliance on Arab parties to form a government.

Political analysts and international media highlight several potential paths forward, including a minority government led by Eisenkot with external support, a broad unity government, or a repeat election. The final outcome remains uncertain as election workers count approximately 600,000 absentee ballots, which represent about 10% of the total vote and are expected to be tallied by Thursday.