Full coverage· Politics· Updated
Lapid Declares Netanyahu Bloc Defeated, Public Demands Change
Israeli general election exit polls released on Tuesday evening indicate a significant defeat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, prompting opposition leaders to declare victory and call for a new government. According to i24NEWS exit poll data, Netanyahu's Likud party remains the largest single party with 27 seats, while Yashar secured 20, B’Yachad 15, and the Joint List 9. Preliminary results showed a dramatic surge for Arab parties, but neither bloc reached the 61-seat majority required to form a government, leaving the final outcome uncertain.
7 newsrooms · 2 languages · since
What happened
- 01General election exit polls released on Tuesday evening indicate a significant defeat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc.
- 02According to i24NEWS exit poll data, Likud secured 27 seats, Yashar won 20, B’Yachad took 15, and the Joint List received 9.
- 03Initial polls showed neither bloc reaching the 61-seat majority required to form a government without further alliances.
- 04Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett vowed to immediately coordinate and establish a "Zionist enlistment government" representing all Israelis.
- 05Yair Lapid declared that Netanyahu's bloc suffered a severe defeat and that the public told them to go home.
- 06Minister Miki Zohar warned opposition leaders against relying on Arab parties for a coalition, predicting their political demise.
- 07Liberal American Jewish groups, including J Street, celebrated the exit poll results as a rebuke to Netanyahu's government.
Opposition leaders interpreted the projections as a decisive public rejection of the current government. Gadi Eisenkot, whose bloc is expected to receive the first mandate to form a government, stated the results show a complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the "October 7th government." Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and other opposition figures vowed to immediately coordinate and establish a "Zionist enlistment government" that represents all Israelis.
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid declared that Netanyahu's bloc suffered a severe defeat and that the public told them to go home, urging voters not to be misled by attempts to misrepresent the outcome. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democratic party, stated that the public had fired the government, presenting a historic opportunity for real change. Liberal American Jewish groups, including J Street and New Jewish Narrative, also celebrated the results as a rebuke to Netanyahu.
In response to the opposition's celebrations, Minister Miki Zohar warned opposition leaders against relying on Arab parties to form a coalition, predicting that such an alliance would lead to their political demise. The final election results remain pending as the preliminary exit polls are processed.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Ynetnews. Read Ynetnews’s originalThe coverage
7 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- Left1
- Centre3
- Right1
- Haredi1
- ArabNone
- Other1
How it broke
How the headlines differ
Lapid Declares Netanyahu Bloc Defeated, Public Demands Change
