On the morning after Israel's first national vote since the 7 October attack, two men who each cast themselves as the country's rightful next leader found themselves in the same uncomfortable place: close enough to claim the future, too far from the sixty-one seats that would make it theirs. Benjamin Netanyahu, long the dominant figure of Israeli politics, and Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who entered the contest as a novice, both promised to form the next government, while the electorate, turning out at nearly 78 percent, delivered a verdict that refused to settle the question. The s
Netanyahu and Eisenkot Both Claim Mandate as Israel's Divided Election Leaves No Clear Winner
Even if Netanyahu lost, that doesn't mean Eisenkot won.
Mark
Both men are saying they'll form a government. How can that be?
Mimi
Because neither bloc is near 61 seats. Exit polls put them even at 51 each on two networks, and one still gives the opposition a slight edge.
Luke
Worth stressing those are exit polls, not final counts. The seat numbers could shift.
Mark
Why do the Arab parties matter so much?
Mimi
They're projected at 17 to 18 seats, a sharp gain. That makes them potential kingmakers, even though Eisenkot says he won't govern with them.
Luke
And Abbas saying he's open to working with Eisenkot isn't a deal. Nothing in the reporting says any agreement exists.
Mark
What's the significance of Netanyahu's Iran remark?
Mimi
He said there's a unique opportunity with Trump to eliminate the Iranian threat. Observers say a war could help him push for a unity government, and Eisenkot warned him against it.
Luke
That's observers' reading. Netanyahu didn't say he'd start a war to build a coalition.
Mark
And the fraud claims?
Mimi
He said three United Arab List officials were arrested with cash envelopes. Electoral authorities called it an isolated, local case.
Luke
So the claim is his, and the authorities' response limits what it shows.
Mark
What does Rahat's caution mean?
Mimi
That Netanyahu losing his majority doesn't automatically hand Eisenkot one.
O Pulso
- Netanyahu stepped before cheering supporters at 3am without claiming victory, while Eisenkot addressed a rival crowd across the country, both insisting they will form the government.
- Exit polls left the blocs deadlocked at around 51 seats each, far short of the 61 needed in the 120-seat Knesset, with no clear path to a majority.
- Arab Israeli parties surged to a projected 17 to 18 seats, turning them into potential kingmakers that Netanyahu rejects and Eisenkot publicly refuses to govern with.
- Netanyahu hinted at a third strike on Iran alongside Trump, and Eisenkot warned that security is being exploited for political survival, raising the stakes of every coming negotiation.
- Coalition talks now point toward a fragile minority government, a unity deal, or a second election, and the outcome will decide whether Netanyahu's long rule ends.
On the morning after Israel's first national vote since the 7 October attack, two men who each cast themselves as the country's rightful next leader found themselves in the same uncomfortable place: close enough to claim the future, too far from the sixty-one seats that would make it theirs. Benjamin Netanyahu, long the dominant figure of Israeli politics, and Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who entered the contest as a novice, both promised to form the next government, while the electorate, turning out at nearly 78 percent, delivered a verdict that refused to settle the question. The sharpest shift lay in the rise of Arab Israeli parties, whose surge against the incumbent may now decide who governs, even as those who benefit from it insist they will not be invited into power. What follows will be shaped less by the night's claims than by the slow, often bargaining work of coalition-building, where a country grieving and divided must decide what kind of security and what kind of community it wants to be.
Shortly after 3am in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu stepped in front of cheering supporters and spoke more briefly than usual. He did not claim victory. He called for a strong government of the right, while across the country in Tel Aviv his challenger Gadi Eisenkot was addressing his own crowd. Both men promised the same thing: they would form the next government.
Neither can yet. Turnout reached nearly 78 percent, the highest since 1999, and by morning the exit polls left the two blocs roughly even at 51 seats each. Both fall well short of the 61 needed in the 120-seat Knesset, and coalitions are the norm in Israel. Likud appeared likely to be the largest single party.
The real surprise was the Arab Israeli parties, projected to win 17 to 18 seats. Their voters turned out in large numbers against Netanyahu, who had warned that the minority would dilute the Jewish nationalist direction he has given the country. Mansour Abbas said the right had suffered a major loss and that he was open to working with Eisenkot. Eisenkot has ruled out governing with them, though they could support a minority government from outside. Netanyahu, for his part, insists no government should rely on Arab backing at all.
He also hinted at a third campaign against Iran with his ally Donald Trump, calling it a unique opportunity. Eisenkot answered sharply, telling Netanyahu not to use Israel's security for political needs and accusing him of governing without a mandate. Eisenkot, a former military chief whose son Gal was killed fighting in Gaza, is a political novice whose mild manner contrasts with the incumbent's. The son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants, he would be the first prime minister of Middle Eastern or North African descent, and he has promised a more inclusive politics and a check on violent settlers in the West Bank.
The final weeks were bitter, with Netanyahu alleging that Arabs were trying to steal the election and a cash-envelope arrest that electoral authorities called isolated. Among Netanyahu's own allies, Itamar Ben Gvir fell short of expectations and warned against a unity government with Eisenkot. Political scientist Gideon Rahat offered a useful caution: even if Netanyahu lost, that does not mean Eisenkot won.
What happens next depends on the coming talks, whether a minority government, a unity deal or a second election. For Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges and an International Criminal Court warrant, the outcome could decide whether his long political career ends in prison or in one more term.
Shortly after 3am local time, Benjamin Netanyahu stepped in front of cheering supporters at a Jerusalem convention centre and spoke more briefly than usual. He did not claim victory. He called for a "strong government of the right" and said the "Jewish and Zionist majority must unite." Across the country in Tel Aviv, his challenger Gadi Eisenkot was speaking to his own crowd, and both men were promising the same thing: they would form the next government.
Neither is close enough to do it yet. Yesterday's vote was the first election since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, and turnout reached nearly 78%, the highest since 1999. Exit polls from the three mainstream television networks first gave the opposition a slight edge. By early this morning, two networks put the blocs even at 51 seats each, and one still showed a narrow opposition lead. Either way, both sit well short of the 61 seats needed in the 120-seat Knesset. No single party has ever won 61 outright, so coalitions are the norm. Networks projected Likud as the largest party, with 24 to 27 seats.
The biggest gains went to Arab Israeli parties, projected to win 17 to 18 seats, a sharp rise. Their voters turned out in soaring numbers against Netanyahu, who had warned relentlessly that the minority would dilute the Jewish nationalist direction he has given the country. Mansour Abbas, a key Arab leader, said the right had "suffered a major loss" and that he was open to working with Eisenkot. Eisenkot has said he will not govern with Arab politicians. But those parties could back him in parliamentary votes to sustain a minority government without joining it. If that fails, Israel could head back to the polls, which Eisenkot says would be a mistake.
Netanyahu, 77, is Israel's longest-serving prime minister, with more than 19 years in office on and off, and last returned to power in December 2022. He said no leader should rule with the backing of Israeli Arabs: "It is out of the question to have a government that is backed by Arab parties." He also hinted at a third bombing campaign against Iran alongside his close ally, US President Donald Trump, saying Israel had "a unique opportunity" to eliminate the Iranian threat. Observers say a war could help him push for a unity government, and Eisenkot appeared to anticipate that. "Netanyahu, don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs," he said, adding that the security establishment serves the state, not a "caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people's trust."
Eisenkot, 66, is a former military chief and a political novice whose mild manner contrasts with the incumbent's. The son of working-class Moroccan Jewish immigrants, he would be Israel's first prime minister of Middle Eastern or North African descent. Before voting he visited the grave of his son Gal, killed fighting in Gaza, a loss that has drawn empathy from many Israelis. He shares many of Netanyahu's security views and backed the Gaza offensive, but has promised a more inclusive atmosphere and a check on extremist settlers in the West Bank who have attacked Palestinians with virtual impunity. "The public has voted for change," he said, urging Netanyahu to retire.
The campaign's final stretch was bitter. Netanyahu charged that Israeli Arabs were out to "steal the election," and Likud unsuccessfully asked election authorities to keep polls open past 10pm. He said three senior United Arab List officials had been arrested with envelopes of cash in the south; electoral authorities called it an isolated local case. The opposition said he was looking for pretexts to contest the result. Late in the race he posted an image of a nuclear bomb destroying Tel Aviv.
There are complications on the right too. Itamar Ben Gvir, the far-right firebrand, did not gain as much as expected in exit polls and warned Netanyahu that a unity government with Eisenkot would be "a terrible mistake." Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called the opposition's victory claims "premature." Political scientist Gideon Rahat of Hebrew University noted that Ben Gvir had succeeded in mobilising votes, those of Israeli Arabs, and cautioned: "Even if Netanyahu lost, that doesn't mean Eisenkot won."
Tens of thousands of Israelis were estimated to have flown home to vote. Eilana Zisblit, 55, came from Canada, where she has lived for almost 30 years, to back a centre-right party in Eisenkot's bloc. She said the country is heading in a very bad direction and must act "now, or the country really won't survive anymore." Netanyahu also faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over Gaza and domestic corruption charges that could mean prison if he loses power. What happens next depends on coalition talks: a minority government, a unity deal, or a second election.
Citações Notáveis
Netanyahu, don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs.— Gadi Eisenkot
It is out of the question to have a government that is backed by Arab parties.— Benjamin Netanyahu
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Politics & Governance