Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out forming a government with the support of Arab parties. Addressing supporters at Likud headquarters in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that the Jewish and Zionist majority must unite and there is no question of forming a government backed by Arab parties. The prime minister claimed that his party had secured a “clear, decisive majority”.
Pro-Netanyahu bloc bags 55 seats, as per initial trends
With 53.7 per cent of ballot boxes counted as of 7:27 am, partial results published by the Central Elections Committee give the pro-Netanyahu bloc 55 seats and the anti-Netanyahu bloc 50. Parties currently below the 3.25 per cent threshold: Reservists (2.7 per cent), People of Israel (1.7 per cent), Charedi Public (0.2 per cent). The results are partial and will change as counting continues. Votes cast in double envelopes, including those of soldiers, are counted later
What exit polls indicate?
The exit polls earlier indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party could emerge as the largest single party, while the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is projected to secure more seats than the ruling coalition. Projections released by three major broadcasters, Channel 13, Channel 12 and public broadcaster Kan, on Tuesday put Netanyahu’s coalition at around 50 seats in the 120-member Knesset, well below the 61 required for a parliamentary majority. The opposition bloc is projected to win 52-53 seats, while Arab-led parties are expected to secure 17-18 seats.
According to the Central Elections Committee, voter turnout reached 77.7 per cent, up 7.1 percentage points from the 2022 election and the highest level since 1999. The three major broadcasters projected Likud to remain Israel’s largest individual party, although Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar party is expected to mount a strong challenge.
Channel 13 projected 25 seats for Likud and 23 for Yashar, while Channel 12 estimated 24 seats for Likud and 22 for Yashar. Kan’s exit poll put Likud at 25 seats and Yashar at 21. The i24NEWS projection gave Likud 27 seats and Yashar 20.
Although Likud is expected to lead among individual parties, the broader balance of seats could favour the opposition, depending on the final results and the ability of political parties to negotiate coalition agreements. Arab-led parties are projected to perform strongly, potentially increasing their influence in post-election negotiations. Although these parties oppose Netanyahu, they are not formally part of the main Jewish-led opposition bloc.
Channel 13 and Kan projected a combined 17 seats for Arab-led parties, while Channel 12 estimated their total at 18. The Joint List is projected to win 10 seats in the Channel 13 and Kan polls and 11 in Channel 12’s estimate. The Islamist Ra’am party is expected to secure seven seats across all three projections.
Their support from outside a governing coalition, or their decision to abstain in a confidence vote, could influence whether the opposition can establish a minority government. However, both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have ruled out a formal partnership with Arab-led parties.
–With AP Inputs
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