Israel election: Exit polls give Eisenkot's bloc more seats than Netanyahu's with no clear winner; Arab parties could get up to 17 seats

Israel’s election ended in a political deadlock on Tuesday. Exit polls show that neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot secured the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.Images of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot, leader of Yashar. (Bloomberg)Exit polls from Israel’s three major broadcasters projected Eisenkot’s opposition bloc slightly ahead of Netanyahu’s alliance. But both sides remained short of the threshold required to control the 120-seat Knesset.Arab-led parties also made significant gains, with projections showing they could secure up to 17–18 seats, potentially becoming a decisive factor in coalition negotiations.Also read: Israel elections 2026 LIVE updates: Exit polls show no clear winner as voting endsNetanyahu loses majority as opposition faces coalition challengeThe results represent a setback for Netanyahu, whose right-wing coalition held a majority before the election but is now projected to fall well short of 61 seats.Netanyahu’s Likud party remained the largest single party, with exit polls placing it at around 24–25 seats. However, his traditional allies, including far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, failed to secure enough seats to guarantee another Netanyahu-led government.CNN correspondent Jeremy Diamond said Eisenkot currently holds a “very narrow edge” based on exit polls but remains far from the majority needed to form a government.According to the KAN11 exit poll, Eisenkot’s opposition bloc was projected to win 53 seats, while Netanyahu’s bloc received 50 seats. Unaligned parties were projected to hold 17 seats.“Right now, we are seeing a result that is showing no clear winner,” Diamond said, adding that Eisenkot’s opposition coalition was projected to reach around 52 seats, below the 61-seat requirement.Eisenkot’s challenge is complicated because his opposition bloc includes parties with different political positions. His coalition includes centrist, left-wing and right-wing groups, including Yashar, Together, Israel Our Home and the Democrats.Also read: Israel Elections: Gal Gadot Casts Ballot, Says 'I'm Voting For Change' | Israel, NetanyahuArab parties emerge as key players after record turnoutArab-led parties emerged as one of the biggest stories of the election. Projections suggest that they could win their strongest representation in the Knesset.The Joint List and Ra’am were projected to win a combined total of up to 17 seats, depending on the final count. Their support could become crucial if either major bloc attempts to build a governing coalition.Ta’al party leader Ahmad Tibi said his party’s main goal was to remove Netanyahu’s government and prevent him from leading any potential transitional administration.According to the Jerusalem Post, the rise in Arab representation followed a sharp increase in turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel. CNN reported that Arab voter participation appeared to rise significantly compared with previous elections, after turnout reached about 53% in 2022.Israel’s electoral system requires parties to cross a 3.25% vote threshold to enter the Knesset. The final distribution of seats will determine whether Netanyahu can extend his long political career or whether Eisenkot can build an alternative governing coalition.