First exit polls from Israel’s elections on Tuesday showed the opposition bloc with a slight edge over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp, though neither side reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset.
Channels 11, 12 and 13 projected 52 or 53 seats for the opposition and 50 for Netanyahu’s bloc. His Likud would remain the largest single party, with 24 or 25 seats. Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar was projected at 21 to 23 seats.
The two Arab-majority groupings, Raam and the Joint List, were projected to win 17 or 18 seats between them after high turnout in their communities. They are not part of the opposition bloc but have said they are open to supporting it.
Eisenkot said the results showed “a complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the October 7 government”. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it a “crushing defeat” for the bloc.
