Netanyahu, Eisenkot both fall short of governing majority
Photo: REUTERS
According to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, voter turnout exceeded 77 percent in Israel’s key legislative election on Tuesday - the nation’s first election since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Exit polls project no clear winner in the crucial contest, leaving both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his primary challenger, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, short of a governing majority.
Observers widely view the vote as a direct referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership. Throughout the day, Netanyahu urged his supporters to cast their ballots, framing the election as a “matter of life and death.”
Israel’s Channel 13 news initially projected that the opposition bloc held an advantage with 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while Netanyahu’s coalition was projected to capture roughly 50 seats.
Subsequent projections from the three mainstream Israeli television networks placed both opposing alliances around 51 seats each - well short of the 61 seats required to form a majority government. Channel 13 data indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party would nevertheless emerge as the single largest political party, securing 25 seats.
Spurred by widespread anger over frequently derogatory remarks from Netanyahu’s far-right allies, voters in several Israeli Arab communities turned out in near-universal numbers, driving Israeli Arab lists to secure 17 to 18 seats - a substantial surge.
Prominent Israeli Arab leader Mansour Abbas declared that he believed the right wing had “suffered a major loss” and signaled his willingness to collaborate with Eisenkot. However, during the campaign, Eisenkot explicitly said he would not form a government with Israeli Arab lawmakers, while Netanyahu reiterated that any administration dependent on Arab votes would lack legitimacy.
Alternatively, Arab lawmakers could provide external voting support in parliamentary votes to allow Eisenkot to maintain a minority government without formally joining a coalition; otherwise, Israel faces the prospect of new elections.
Meanwhile, far-right firebrand Itamar Ben Gvir, who recorded lower-than-anticipated gains in the exit polls, cautioned Netanyahu against forging a unity government with Eisenkot.
Ben Gvir, who advocates for the expulsion of Palestinians and would likely be excluded from any unity government, warned, “It would be a terrible mistake.”
In a statement published on X, Eisenkot asserted that the exit poll results demonstrated a “complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the 7 October government.” Similarly, Yair Golan, head of Israel’s left-wing Democrats party, said the public had “spoken” and “ousted the Netanyahu government.”
On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar urged caution, warning that celebrations from the left were “premature.” Writing on social media, Sa’ar added, “One thing seems quite clear: The Likud is the largest party in Israel.”
Appearing upbeat during an early Wednesday event, Netanyahu actively positioned himself to remain prime minister by listing off his administration’s military accomplishments over the past three years.
Calling on opponents to line up behind him, Netanyahu condemned any potential partnership with Arab parties - whose constituents account for 20 percent of Israel’s population - labeling such an idea as treasonous.
“We must establish a strong, right-wing, nationalist government,” said Netanyahu, who ran in the vote against Eisenkot. “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.” Netanyahu asserted, “Israel has a unique opportunity with our partner President Trump to forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran.”
Speaking to his supporters in Tel Aviv, Eisenkot issued a warning to Netanyahu, whom observers suggest might leverage security concerns to push for a unity government. “Netanyahu, don’t you dare use Israel’s security for your political needs,” Eisenkot declared.
Directly addressing Israel’s security establishment, Eisenkot emphasized that they served the state rather than Netanyahu, characterizing him as “a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people’s trust.”
Source: Euronews (adapted)
