Netanyahu Leads as Israeli Election Count Drags On

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a lead over his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, in the partial results from Tuesday's parliamentary election. However, no clear winner emerged by Wednesday morning, despite a majority of votes being counted. The race remains too close for either side to claim victory outright.

Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, addressed supporters on Tuesday night to declare a win for change. He stated, "We made history! The public has voted for change." Netanyahu also addressed his base that evening, claiming his right-wing bloc had a clear majority among the Zionist public. Both leaders appeared confident in their early tallies before the final numbers arrived.

The opposition camp, including two Arab-led parties, holds more total votes than Netanyahu's right-wing bloc. This outcome suggests a strong voter turn against the current government. Arab voters constitute roughly 20 percent of the population. The United Arab List and the Joint List could prove essential for forming a stable government, yet both major candidates have historically resisted partnering with them.

Voter turnout exceeded 77 percent, the highest level recorded in more than two decades. Tens of thousands of expatriates traveled to Israel to vote in the first election since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. That attack killed nearly 1,200 people and left 251 hostages in Gaza. The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Election officials expect to complete the count, including ballots from hundreds of thousands of soldiers, by Thursday afternoon. The candidate with the most seats will receive the first attempt to build a government. The leading party has six weeks to assemble a coalition of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset. Neither party has won an outright majority, making negotiations inevitable.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party within Eisenkot's bloc, called for a coalition with Arab parties on social media. He wrote, "We have no future here if we don't stop being afraid. And if we don't stop with the racism." Mistrust of Arab political leaders has grown since the 2023 attack, complicating these potential alliances.

If neither side secures a coalition, Netanyahu will remain as caretaker prime minister. A repeat election would then be scheduled for next year. The political landscape in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem remains tense as parties begin their calculations.