Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in the country's election, telling supporters that official results will show his Likud party as the largest in parliament. Speaking early Wednesday morning as votes were being tallied, Netanyahu addressed a crowd that chanted, sang and cheered, with the Prime Minister joining in one of the songs.
Netanyahu told his supporters: "We are waiting for the official results, which will show that the Likud is the largest party in Israel." He added: "Israel faces a once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to eliminate the existential threat from Iran once and for all."
Exit polls suggest tight race
Despite Netanyahu's confident speech, exit polls released by major Israeli TV stations indicated that voters may have delivered a rebuke to the Prime Minister, giving his opponents a slight edge. The initial polls suggested Netanyahu's bloc won 50 seats, the opposition won 52-53 and Arab parties won 17-18.
The polls were later revised to suggest a slight increase in support for Netanyahu, but still leaving him short of a governing majority. The revised figures indicated that Likud would be the largest party in parliament with about 27 seats, while the broader bloc of parties led by Netanyahu and the bloc led by his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, each captured about 51 seats.
A candidate needs 61 parliamentary seats to form a majority coalition government. Arab-led parties won the remaining 18 seats, according to the exit polls.
Coalition uncertainty ahead
Whether the disparate parties can form a government remains uncertain and could take weeks of negotiation. The opposition may still find it difficult to replace Netanyahu, with the easiest path involving Eisenkot partnering with Arab-led parties, a move that could prove politically difficult and potentially alienate other opposition factions.
Eisenkot said the exit polls show a "lack of confidence" in the current Prime Minister. Arab voters celebrated the exit polls, while supporters of far-right parties aligned with Netanyahu expressed disappointment.
If the exit polls prove correct, Israel faces weeks of political jockeying before a prime minister is declared, or another round of elections is called.
Record turnout reported
More than 74% of eligible voters had cast ballots by 8pm, the highest turnout at that time in decades, and eight percentage points higher than in the last elections in 2022, according to the Central Elections Committee. More than 7.0 million people are eligible to vote, and tens of thousands have reportedly arrived from overseas.
Israel's president will be tasked with asking the party leader with the best prospect of forming a government, usually one with the most seats, to cobble together a coalition. If Netanyahu's right-wing Likud emerges as the largest party, he could claim that right.
There will be heavy pressure on Eisenkot to reach a deal with the Arab parties, while Netanyahu and his allies are likely to cast any such alliance as illegitimate. No single party has ever won an outright majority in the country's 120-seat parliament, forcing political leaders to forge coalitions. Minority governments are also possible, but they must rely on support or co-operation from parties outside the government to pass legislation.
Like all surveys, exit polls are subject to potential error. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours, with final results expected in the coming days, and these may vary from the exit polls.
