Israel Election Turnout Hits Record as Coalition Race Tightens
Israeli turnout reached 77.7% by the close of voting, the highest level since 1999, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced rival Gadi Eisenkot. Early exit…
Israel's election high turnout sharpened the stakes of a close contest over the country’s next government. Voters cast ballots in record numbers as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced rival Gadi Eisenkot, with early exit polls giving the opposition bloc a slight lead but no clear winner.
The Central Elections Committee said 77.7% of voters had cast ballots by 10 p.m. Tuesday, the highest turnout since 1999. The final count could take until Wednesday, and coalition negotiations may stretch longer if no bloc wins an outright majority.
That leaves the result open. Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset, requires a governing coalition, and early projections showed neither side with enough seats to govern alone.
Exit polls show a narrow opposition edge
Netanyahu’s Likud Party appeared to win the most seats, followed by Eisenkot’s Yashar party, according to preliminary results broadcast by Israeli television networks. Three major exit polls put the four-party opposition bloc led by Eisenkot at a combined 52 seats, compared with 50 for Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
The projections are not final results. The balance will depend on the vote count and negotiations among broader alliances, NPR reported. If no bloc secures a majority, party leaders may need days or weeks to assemble a government and determine who will serve as prime minister.
Shira Efron, an analyst at the Rand Corp. think tank, told NPR the preliminary figures could amount to an opposition victory. “This is a very good outcome for Eisenkot” and his recently formed party, she said. Efron added that he could seek the president’s mandate to form a government, potentially through a minority government or an alliance with Arab politicians.
The election is the first parliamentary vote since the October 2023 Hamas-led attack and the start of wars in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East. Voters were deciding whether to keep Netanyahu’s far-right coalition in power or change direction.
Turnout reflects sharply divided choices
Participation was especially high among voters who wanted Netanyahu replaced, NPR reported. He is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, with almost two decades in office across multiple tenures.
“Important is an underestimation, because it's much more than important. It's crucial,” voter Naama Aaronsohn said. “I'm worried. ... What's going to become of our country if there's not a major change?”
Other voters backed Netanyahu. Itamar Ariel said Israel faced problems but that no one could replace the prime minister, describing his choice as a matter of security.
Arab citizens’ participation also drew attention during the campaign. Netanyahu posted on social media about the number of Arab voters turning out and urged right-wing supporters to vote. Nur Abu Na, a 30-year-old nurse, said she viewed Netanyahu’s government as racist toward Arab citizens and believed voting mattered for her community.
“This government it's not good for us and ... not good for anyone,” she said. Two predominantly Arab parties were also competing in the election.
The close projections leave the next step with vote counting and coalition talks. The committee’s turnout figure stood at 77.7% when polls closed at 10 p.m.
Source: npr.org
