JERUSALEM | October 28, 2026 | Israel’s national election has ended without a clear winner, with exit polls projecting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political bloc and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot have both fallen short of the 61 seats needed to command a majority in the 120-member Knesset, raising the prospect of prolonged coalition negotiations.
Exit polls released by Israel’s major television broadcasters on Tuesday night indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party would remain the largest individual party, while parties opposing his government were projected to hold a combined advantage over his political bloc. However, the projections did not establish a clear path for either side to form a government.
The official vote count remains decisive. Israel’s Central Elections Committee has indicated that the final results are scheduled for publication by November 4, and the distribution of seats may change as counting progresses. Exit-poll figures must therefore not be treated as certified election results.
The three main television exit polls projected approximately 50 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc and 52 to 53 seats for the opposition bloc led by Eisenkot. Arab-led parties were projected to win a combined 17 to 18 seats, potentially giving them considerable influence over negotiations, although their participation in a governing coalition remains politically contentious.
Likud was projected to secure approximately 24 to 25 seats, compared with 21 to 23 for Eisenkot’s Yashar party. The projections suggested that Netanyahu’s party had retained a substantial electoral base but that his broader coalition faced difficulties securing enough support to continue governing.
The Arab-led parties’ projected gains emerged as one of the election’s most significant developments. Their combined representation could become crucial if neither major political camp can assemble a majority independently. However, opposition figures have faced political constraints over cooperation with Arab parties, complicating efforts to turn an anti-Netanyahu parliamentary majority into a functioning government.
Voter participation was also unusually high. The Central Elections Committee reported turnout of 74.3 percent by 8 p.m. on October 27, surpassing the 70.63 percent turnout recorded in the 2022 national election. The figure indicated strong public participation in a contest widely viewed as a judgment on Netanyahu’s leadership and Israel’s direction following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the regional conflicts that followed.
The election campaign was shaped by national security, the wars involving Israel, the country’s international standing, Netanyahu’s corruption trial, judicial independence and disputes over exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox men. These issues contributed to a deeply divided political landscape in which neither major camp entered election night with a reliable route to a parliamentary majority.
Under Israel’s parliamentary system, voters elect party lists to the Knesset rather than directly electing the prime minister. After the official results are established, President Isaac Herzog consults representatives of the parties elected to parliament and determines whom to task with forming a government. The designated candidate must then work to assemble a coalition capable of securing parliamentary support.
The inconclusive projections leave both Netanyahu and his opponents facing difficult negotiations. Even if the opposition bloc maintains its projected lead, it would still need sufficient partners to reach 61 seats. Netanyahu, meanwhile, could seek support from parties outside his existing bloc. If no candidate can form a viable government, Israel could face another election, prolonging political uncertainty.
For now, the outcome remains unresolved. The official count, the final allocation of Knesset seats and the subsequent coalition negotiations will determine whether Netanyahu retains power or a rival government emerges. Neither the largest party nor the bloc with the most projected seats can be declared the winner of the government-forming process solely on the basis of exit polls.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
