On a Wednesday in late October, Israeli voters pressed back against Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right and religious coalition, yet the exit polls drew no clear victor from the ballot. Three years after a war that began under his watch, the long-serving prime minister still stands as a formidable force, refusing to concede even as his rivals sense an opening. The people have spoken in a fractured voice, and the work of turning that voice into a government now falls to the hard, slow craft of coalition-building.
Exit polls suggest no clear winner in Israel's election, but Netanyahu is far from defeated
Israeli voters have delivered a setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition, with exit polls suggesting no clear winner in the election.…
No clear winner, and a prime minister far from defeated
Mark
So who actually won on Wednesday?
Mimi
Nobody, by the exit polls. Netanyahu's governing coalition took a rebuke, and his opponents seem to have a solid majority of seats. But that majority is not a government yet.
Luke
And it's worth saying these are exit polls, not final results. The numbers could move.
Mark
Why can't the opposition just form a government?
Mimi
Because it's a patchwork. It includes Arab-led factions that appear to have had a historic showing, and also parties that have said they won't partner with them.
Luke
Right, and the reporting doesn't tell us how firm those refusals are. Said is not the same as final.
Mark
What is Netanyahu saying?
Mimi
He calls partnerships with Arab parties treasonous, and both he and Gadi Eisenkot are claiming victory.
Luke
Claiming victory is a posture, not a result. Neither claim is confirmed by the count.
Mark
What happens if no deal comes together?
Mimi
Weeks of haggling at best, and at worst another election.
Luke
That last part is a possibility the report raises, not a prediction. How likely it is, we don't know yet.
The Pulse
- Exit polls show Netanyahu's opponents holding a solid majority, but spread across parties that have not agreed to govern together.
- Arab-led factions posted a historic showing, and rival parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc refuse to partner with them, splitting the path to power.
- Netanyahu rejects any alliance with Arab parties as treasonous and is claiming victory while Gadi Eisenkot also declares himself the winner.
- Haggling could stretch for weeks, and if no coalition emerges the country may be pushed toward yet another election.
- The president will soon invite the strongest contender to attempt a government, and the final count may still reshape the picture.
On a Wednesday in late October, Israeli voters pressed back against Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right and religious coalition, yet the exit polls drew no clear victor from the ballot. Three years after a war that began under his watch, the long-serving prime minister still stands as a formidable force, refusing to concede even as his rivals sense an opening. The people have spoken in a fractured voice, and the work of turning that voice into a government now falls to the hard, slow craft of coalition-building.
Israeli voters handed a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right and religious governing coalition, but the exit polls released Wednesday suggested that no one has won outright. Three years after a war began on his watch, the long-serving leader has shown he is far from finished.
According to the projections, the opponents of the current government hold a solid majority in the next parliament. That majority, however, is a patchwork of parties, and it is unclear whether they will agree to form a coalition. Among them are Arab-led factions that appear to have made a historic showing, and several other parties in the bloc have said they will not partner with them.
Netanyahu has conceded nothing. He dismisses any partnership with Arab parties as treasonous, and he and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, both claim victory. The president will soon ask whoever is best placed to form a government to try, and Netanyahu's Likud, as the largest single party, carries real weight in that process. Coalition talks could take weeks, and if they fail, the country may face another election. The exit polls are only projections, and the final count may still shift the picture.
Israeli voters delivered a rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right and religious governing coalition, but exit polls reported Wednesday suggested the election produced no clear winner. They also indicated that the long-serving leader is far from finished, three years after a war began on his watch.
According to the exit polls, opponents of the current government won a solid majority in the next parliament. That majority is made up of disparate parties, and whether they are willing to form a coalition together is not clear. Among them are Arab-led factions that appear to have made a historic showing. Other parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc have said they won't partner with Arab parties.
If those parties do find a way to work together, the haggling would likely take weeks. And if they cannot, the country could face another election.
Netanyahu has not conceded anything. He remains defiant and has dismissed any partnership with Arab parties as treasonous. Both he and his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, are claiming victory, which sets the stage for a period of political maneuvering before anyone knows who will govern.
The close result shows how hard it is to unseat Netanyahu, even amid public anger over the recent conflicts. The coalition-building process will begin with the president, who is expected to ask the leader best placed to claim a coalition to try to form a government. Netanyahu's Likud is the largest single party, a position that gives him standing in that process even though the exit polls show his bloc short of what his opponents appear to hold.
The exit polls are only projections, and the final count may shift the picture. What to watch now is whether Eisenkot's side can bridge its own divide over Arab-led parties, or whether Netanyahu can peel off enough partners to cobble together a coalition of his own.
Notable Quotes
Netanyahu dismissed partnerships with Arab parties as treasonous.— Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by AP
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Politics & Governance