Eisenkot and Netanyahu blocs tied at 51 seats in Israeli election exit polls

Exit poll projections broadcast by Israel's Channel 13 on Tuesday show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-led coalition tied at 51 seats with the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. In the 120-seat Knesset, this split leaves neither side with the 61 seats required for an absolute majority. Unaligned Arab parties are projected to hold 18 seats, further complicating the path to a stable government.

The results reflect a sharp division in the country's political landscape. Eisenkot, who heads the Yashar party and served as the former military chief of staff, told supporters after voting closed that the initial projections demonstrated a complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the government that was in power during the October 7 attacks. Yair Lapid, another opposition leader, described the outcome as a total collapse, stating in a written statement that the public has told the current leadership to go home.

Netanyahu's allies pushed back against these declarations. Gideon Saar, the foreign minister and a key ally of the prime minister, dismissed opposition claims as premature. He noted on social media that Likud remained the largest single party in parliament and suggested that final results could shift the balance. Senior figures in his camp argued that the opposition was declaring victory before the counting was complete.

Voter turnout reached 77.7 percent according to the Central Elections Committee, with supporters at Eisenkot's watch party in Tel Aviv cheering the projections. Arab political factions also emphasized their potential role in upcoming coalition negotiations. Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, told reporters that his party would transform its mandate into a new reality for the country.

Faten Gattas, a candidate for the Joint List alliance, spoke to supporters in Nazareth about high participation among Palestinian citizens of Israel. She said the group aimed to block the return of Netanyahu's nationalist coalition. Gattas stated that the party refuses the occupation and racism and that they would remain present in the political process.

Political analysts suggest that smaller parties will be key deciders as formal coalition talks begin in the coming days. The official counting of votes is ongoing, and the final seat distribution will determine which bloc has the first right to form a government.