Israelis voted in high numbers on Tuesday in a closely contested election, with exit polls showing no clear winner. The right-wing alliance of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot were nearly even, leaving neither in a strong position to form a government. Most votes are expected to be counted by Wednesday, but final results may take longer.
In Israel’s parliamentary system, the party with the most seats does not automatically form the government. Instead, coalition negotiations are required to reach a majority of 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset. Turnout reached 77.7%, the highest since 1999.
Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot claimed victory in speeches, with Eisenkot declaring that “the public opted for change” and Netanyahu asserting that Likud won the most seats. Arab citizens, about 20% of the population, voted in large numbers to oppose the far right, with Arab parties showing strong exit poll results. Mansour Abbas of Raam said turnout reflected a shift from “frustration and despair” to hope.
Israel uses proportional representation, with parties needing at least 3.25% of the vote to enter the Knesset. President Isaac Herzog will meet with party leaders within seven days of official results to select a prime minister-designate, who then has 28 days—extendable by 14—to form a coalition. If that fails, a second candidate gets 28 days without extension, and a third gets 14 days.
If all fail, new elections are called. Historically, government formation has taken 20 to 100 days.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing