By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Israel’s parliamentary election has produced no clear winner, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling bloc and the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot falling short of a clear majority in the 120-member Knesset, according to exit polls and early vote-counting reports.
The result has set the stage for potentially weeks of coalition negotiations, with smaller parties, including Arab-led political groups, potentially playing a decisive role in determining who forms the next government. Early counting showed Netanyahu’s Likud party leading as the largest individual party, but neither major political camp appeared to have secured the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
Exit polls released after voting ended on Tuesday gave the opposition bloc a narrow lead in some projections, while another broadcaster projected the two camps to be level. The varying projections underscored the uncertainty surrounding the outcome as votes continued to be counted.
The election was widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership and his government’s handling of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks and the wars that followed. Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has faced criticism over the security failures surrounding the attacks, as well as domestic divisions over his government’s policies and his ongoing corruption trial, which he denies wrongdoing in.
Eisenkot, a former chief of the Israel Defence Forces who leads the centrist Yashar party, campaigned on a promise of national renewal and unity. Other opposition figures include former prime minister Naftali Bennett and former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose parties could influence coalition negotiations.
Arab-led parties also performed strongly in projections and could hold the balance of power. However, major Jewish-led opposition parties have been reluctant to form a coalition with them, complicating the opposition’s path to a majority. Netanyahu has likewise indicated that he wants a strong right-wing government.
Turnout reached 77.7 per cent, the highest level in more than two decades, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee. The election was the first since the October 2023 Hamas attack and the subsequent regional conflicts.
Under Israel’s parliamentary system, President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders after the results are finalised and nominate the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government. The nominee can have up to 42 days to assemble a coalition. Until a new government takes office, Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister.
The final vote tally is expected in the coming days, with official results scheduled for publication on November 4. If no candidate can form a viable government, Israel could face another election.