Polls Close in Israel as Netanyahu Fights for Political Survival
Voting has ended in Israel's parliamentary election, which saw record turnout. Initial exit polls show Netanyahu's Likud slightly ahead of Gadi Eisenkot's party, but the opposition bloc is ahead overall.
Polls closed in Israel on Tuesday in a parliamentary election in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving leader, is seeking a seventh term. Voters were deciding whether to keep his far-right coalition in power or change course. It is the first election since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered three years of war in Gaza.
By 8 p.m. local time, 74.3 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots, the highest rate for that point in the day since 1988. Turnout was especially strong among Arab citizens, who make up about a fifth of the population. In some Arab-majority towns it had already exceeded the 2022 totals. Mr. Netanyahu accused Arab citizens of trying to "steal the elections," while election officials said there was no sign of widespread irregularities. The Central Election Committee rejected a Likud attempt to extend voting hours.
Two blocs
Mr. Netanyahu's coalition brings together nationalists and ultra-Orthodox Jews. It faces an ideologically varied group of opposition parties loosely led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff. Parties representing Arab citizens also oppose the government. The opposition has pledged to hold the government accountable for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 attacks and to repair Israel's image abroad. Mr. Netanyahu has resisted an independent inquiry and vowed to press on with overhauling the judiciary. President Trump has endorsed him.
What comes next
Initial exit polls from Israel's main television networks show Likud holding a small lead over Mr. Eisenkot's party, but the anti-Netanyahu bloc, including two predominantly Arab parties, holds a wide lead over the prime minister and his allies. Exit polls have a spotty record of accuracy, especially in close races.
Votes are counted by hand at roughly 12,000 polling stations, and full results are not expected before Thursday afternoon. Forming a government could take weeks or months, since no party is expected to win a majority outright.
