Live updates: Netanyahu's key rival warns against second election as counting underway

Israel’s election produced no clear winner because rival blocs appeared unable to command a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Exit polls projected 52–53 seats for the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, 50 for Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc, and 17–18 for Arab parties. Neither side reached 61 seats.

The uncertainty comes from both incomplete counting and coalition politics. The election committee had tallied only 2,670 ballots when the first official results were released. Exit polls from three major channels were estimates, not final totals. Smaller parties may also decide which larger bloc can assemble enough support.

Counting was expected to continue through the night, with clearer results in the following hours. Eisenkot warned against a second election and said he could form a Zionist draft government. Netanyahu had not yet addressed supporters, while coalition negotiations remained central.

An exit poll is an estimate based on interviews with people after they vote. It gives broadcasters an early picture before election officials finish counting ballots. Exit polls matter because they can indicate likely winners quickly, but they are not official results and cannot settle close contests.

In this election, Israel’s three main channels produced averaged exit-poll figures. They projected more seats for Gadi Eisenkot’s wider bloc than for Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc, but neither reached 61 seats. Such projections depend on who was surveyed and how accurately the sample reflects all voters.

The official count can change the picture as more ballots are included. The election committee had counted only 2,670 ballots when the first results were released, despite more than 7.3 million ballots being cast. Counting continued through the night, so later figures could differ from the projections.

The Knesset, Israel’s national parliament, has 120 seats. A party or bloc needs at least 61 seats to hold a majority. That threshold matters because the government must command enough parliamentary support to govern and pass measures.

The election’s early projections showed a fragmented result. Gadi Eisenkot’s main opposition bloc appeared likely to win 52–53 seats. Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc was projected to win 50. Arab parties were projected to hold 17–18 seats. Separately, Naftali Bennett’s Together alliance was averaged at 13.3 seats, while Yair Golan’s Democrats were projected at 9.3.

These numbers did not identify a government automatically. Even the larger bloc remained below 61, so parties would need to cooperate. The figures were also based mainly on exit polls while official counting had just started. Final seat totals and coalition negotiations could therefore reshape the result.

A majority means having more than half the seats in a legislature. Israel’s Knesset has 120 seats, so 61 is the minimum number needed to exceed half. This gives a governing bloc enough parliamentary backing to survive votes and advance legislation.

The election showed why the threshold matters. Exit polls projected 52–53 seats for Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc and 50 for Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc. Neither reached 61. The projected 17–18 seats for Arab parties, along with smaller parties, could therefore become important in building a governing majority.

A bloc below 61 must seek partners or agreements with other parties. That process is called coalition-building. Eisenkot said he could form a Zionist draft government, while warning that a second election would be a mistake. The final outcome depended on official counting and the negotiations that followed.

The Knesset is Israel’s national parliament. It has 120 seats, and its members are elected in a national election. Israel uses proportional representation, meaning parties receive seats broadly according to their share of the vote rather than one party taking every seat.

That system can produce several significant parties and blocs. In the election described here, exit polls projected seats for Netanyahu’s Likud, Eisenkot’s opposition partners, and Arab parties. They also projected 13.3 seats for Naftali Bennett’s Together alliance and 9.3 for Yair Golan’s Democrats. These figures show why parties must often cooperate.

The system means voters choose among parties, while government formation depends on parliamentary support. No party in Israel’s history had won enough seats to govern alone, according to the article. Since neither main bloc reached 61 seats in the projections, coalition negotiations were needed after the vote.

When no major bloc wins 61 seats, smaller parties become potential coalition partners. They can join one side, support it on key votes, or negotiate conditions for their participation. The leader who assembles enough parliamentary backing is then best placed to form a government.

The projected numbers illustrate this leverage. Eisenkot’s bloc had 52–53 seats, while Netanyahu’s had 50. Arab parties were projected at 17–18 seats. Naftali Bennett’s Together alliance was projected at 13.3 seats, and Yair Golan’s Democrats at 9.3. Any combination of smaller parties could change the balance.

This makes election night only the beginning of government formation. Official counting could alter the seat totals, and negotiations would determine which bloc can reach 61. Eisenkot promised he could form a Zionist draft government and urged action to fulfil voters’ wishes. Netanyahu had not yet addressed supporters.

In proportional representation, parties gain seats in relation to their support. This allows several parties to win representation instead of concentrating power in one party. When no party or natural alliance reaches a majority, governing requires cooperation among multiple groups.

Israel’s projected result shows the mechanism clearly. Eisenkot’s bloc was estimated at 52–53 seats and Netanyahu’s at 50, both below the 61-seat majority. Arab parties were projected at 17–18 seats, while smaller alliances also held substantial projected shares. Their seats could determine which larger bloc forms a government.

Coalitions can broaden representation, but they also require negotiation and compromise. In this election, official counting was still underway, and exit polls could change. If no bloc reached 61 after the count, parties would need agreements to govern. Eisenkot warned that holding a second election would be a mistake and said he could build a government.