𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced “We are waiting for the official results, which will show that the Likud is the largest party in Israel.” A riled up crowd chanted, sang and cheered as Mr Netanyahu spoke early Wednesday morning as the votes were being tallied, with Mr Netanyahu joining in one of the songs.

Netanyahu told his supporters that official results for the Israeli election will show that “Likud is the largest party in Israel”, telling supporters that “Israel faces a once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity, together with our partner President Trump”.

Mr Netanyahu spoke to supporters of his Likud party, according to reports he told them: “We are waiting for the official results, which will show that the Likud is the largest party in Israel.” He added: “Israel faces a once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to eliminate the existential threat from Iran once and for all.”

During his speech, the Prime Minister called for a “strong, right-wing” government in a defiant speech after Israel’s elections. Netanyahu also slammed the country’s Arab-led parties, which exit polls suggested expanded their strength in parliament, calling on Jewish parties to line up behind him.

But exit polls showed that Israeli voters appeared to have delivered a sharp rebuke on Tuesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, indicating voters gave his opponents the edge. The exit polls initially released by major Israeli TV stations suggested that Mr Netanyahu’s bloc won 50 seats, the opposition won 52-53 and Arab parties won 17-18.

The polls published by the three major TV stations were then revised to suggest a slight increase in support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but still leaving him short of a governing majority. The revised polls suggest that Netanyahu’s Likud Party will be the largest in parliament, with about 27 seats.

But the broader bloc of parties led by Netanyahu and the bloc of parties led by his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, each captured about 51 seats in parliament, the polls suggest. Initial exit polls had indicated Eisenkot’s bloc had a slight edge.

A candidate needs 61 parliamentary seats to form a majority coalition government. Arab-led parties won the remaining 18 seats, the exit polls suggested.

Whether those disparate parties can form a government is uncertain and will likely take weeks of haggling.

The opposition may still find it difficult to form a government to replace him. The easiest path would involve Mr Netanyahu’s main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, partnering with Arab-led parties, but that could prove politically difficult and potentially alienate other opposition factions.

If the exit polls prove correct, it sets the stage for weeks of political jockeying before a prime minister is declared – or another round of elections is called.

Mr Eisenkot said the exit polls show a “lack of confidence” in the current prime minister. Arab voters celebrated the exit polls while supporters of far-right parties aligned with Mr Netanyahu expressed disappointment.

Like all surveys, exit polls are subject to potential error. Preliminary results are expected in the coming hours. Final results are expected in the coming days and may vary from the exit polls.

More than 74% of eligible voters had cast ballots by 8pm, the highest turnout at that time in decades, and eight percentage points higher than in the last elections in 2022, according to the Central Elections Committee.

More than 7.0 million people are eligible to vote, and tens of thousands have reportedly arrived from overseas.

Israel’s president will be tasked with asking the party leader with the best prospect of forming a government, usually one with the most seats, to cobble together a coalition. If Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud emerges as the largest party, he could claim that right.

There will, meanwhile, be heavy pressure on Mr Eisenkot to reach a deal with the Arab parties, while Mr Netanyahu and his allies are likely to cast any such alliance as illegitimate and even treasonous.

No single party has ever won an outright majority in the country’s 120-seat parliament, forcing political leaders to forge coalitions. Minority governments are also possible, but they must rely on support or co-operation from parties outside the government to pass legislation.