Likud party wins 24 to 25 seats in exit polls, article says
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party won 24 to 25 seats in Israel’s legislative elections, leaving his governing coalition far short of the 61-seat majority required to form a government, according to exit polls. The high-stakes vote, marked by a 77% turnout, pits Netanyahu’s diminished bloc against a surging opposition and newly empowered Arab parties.
Likud Falls Short as Coalition Slumps to 50 Seats
The latest projection places Netanyahu’s current governing coalition at roughly 50 seats, a steep drop from the 63 seats it holds in the current parliament and well below the 32 seats Likud secured alone in 2022. Ultra-nationalist and religious allies within the bloc shed considerable support at the ballot box. Ultra-orthodox party Shas dropped from 11 seats to between six and eight. Itamar Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism faced similarly poor projections, securing just six to seven and six seats respectively. Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot’s centroderecha Yashar party claimed 21 to 23 seats, trailing earlier pre-election polls.
Voters delivered a sharp rebuke following a turbulent legislative term defined by the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, reservist mobilizations, and rising living costs. Public anger also centered on Netanyahu’s refusal to establish an independent inquiry into security failures and his ongoing corruption trial. “It is a triumph of the majority,” Eisenkot declared following the exit poll releases, pointing to an absolute lack of confidence in the current administration.
Opposition Blocs Claim Mandate for Change
The anti-Netanyahu parliamentary bloc, consisting of a diverse mix of centroderecha and right-wing Jewish parties, projects to hold 52 to 53 seats. The left-wing alliance The Democrats surged to 10 seats, prompting leader Yair Golán to call the result a historic opportunity to reshape the country. The secular right-wing party Israel Beitenu climbed from six to eight seats, while a centroderecha coalition led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid secured 14 seats to emerge as the third-largest force in the Knesset.
Despite the opposition’s celebrations, Israel Katz dismissed the early festivities as premature, emphasizing that Likud remains the single most voted political formation. Netanyahu himself pushed back fiercely during election day, utilizing social media to claim that Arab parties were undermining the integrity of the vote.
Arab Parties Secure Kingmaker Role
Arab political factions emerged as the winners of the election. The Joint List and the moderate Islamist party Ra’am combined to capture approximately 18 seats, fueled by unprecedented turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel. With neither Jewish-led bloc reaching the 61-seat threshold independently, any viable path to the prime minister's office requires negotiations with these Arab lawmakers. Ra’am leader Mansur Abbas has tended already the hand to build a majority, while the sources lack any mention of Yusef Yabarín. President Isaac Herzog must now review the official results before tasking a candidate with a 28-day window to form a government.