The elections in Israel ended in an apparent deadlock on Tuesday the 27th, according to exit polls conducted by the major television networks, indicating that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, is on track to secure a majority in the Knesset, which has 120 seats.
The impasse could favor Netanyahu, allowing the seasoned prime minister to remain in power on an interim basis while the parties attempt to form a governing coalition.
Final results could take days, and Israel’s fragmented political system makes smaller parties decisive. No single party has ever won 61 seats by itself in the 120-seat Knesset, making coalitions the norm.
The vote recorded a record turnout, with Israelis casting ballots amid a wartime atmosphere over Netanyahu, in the first election since Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
The policies of Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition have generated divisions in the country and deepened Israel’s international isolation, but he presented himself as the leader with the courage to confront Israel’s enemies.
Netanyahu, 77, has held the post of prime minister for almost 19 of the last 30 years and has repeatedly weathered political crises. He entered the electoral race facing longstanding corruption charges, which he denies, and criticisms of intelligence failures that allowed Hamas-led militants to kill 1,200 people and take 251 hostages.
Eisenkot, 66, a former hardline military chief who lost a son and two nephews in the Gaza war, emerged as Netanyahu’s strongest opponent, highlighting his security credentials while positioning himself as a centrist on the domestic scene.
He entered politics just four years ago and joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet after the Hamas attack, but he resigned eight months later, criticizing the prime minister’s leadership.
Unless one of them can secure a majority, Israel will face prolonged negotiations to form a coalition or a new election.
