High turnout in Israeli elections for decades; exit polls raise opposition’s hopes: NPR
A video wall displays footage of Benjamin Netanyahu with President Trump at a Likud party event ahead of the release of the first results of Israel’s general election, in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
David Goldman/AP
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David Goldman/AP
Israeli voters turned out in the largest numbers in decades on Tuesday for tense national elections to decide whether to stay with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition or change course.
Netanyahu is in a tight race with his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, a former center-right military chief of staff, according to early exit polls after voting ended at 10 p.m. local time. Preliminary results broadcast on Israeli television channels did not show a clear winner, but appeared to give the bloc of opposition parties led by Eisenkot a slight advantage over Netanyahu’s governing coalition.
However, the final vote count may not be known until Wednesday. Even then, if no bloc achieves an absolute majority, it could take days or even weeks to determine who Israel’s next prime minister will be, as party leaders try to put together a governing coalition.
Israelis consider this one of their most important votes in history – the first parliamentary elections since the Hamas-led attack in October 2023 and the start of wars in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.
Early exit polls suggested Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most seats, followed by Eisenkot’s Yashar party in second, but no party secured an absolute majority in the 120-seat parliament, known as the Knesset.
The final results will depend on calculations and negotiations between broader alliances. The bloc of four opposition parties led by Eisenkot appears to have won a total of 52 seats, compared to 50 for the Netanyahu coalition, according to three major exit polls.
Opposition leaders quickly reacted to the preliminary results, saying they suggested voters were dealing a blow to Netanyahu’s coalition.
Shira Efron, an analyst at the Rand Corp. think tank, agrees that this could be a victory for the opposition.
“It’s a very good result for Eisenkot” and his newly formed party, Efron told NPR. “The most likely scenario is that he receives the mandate from the president to form the government,” she told NPR. She said he could try to form a minority government or join an alliance with Arab politicians.
Enthusiasm was particularly high among voters seeking to replace Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, with nearly two decades in power across multiple terms.
“The important thing is an underestimate, because it’s much more than important. It’s crucial,” voter Naama Aaronsohn said of the election. “I’m worried… What will become of our country if there is no major change?”
Another voter, Itamar Ariel, said there were problems in Israel but no one could replace Netanyahu. He said his choice was about Israel’s security.
Netanyahu expressed his concern throughout the day, in a number of social media posts, commenting on the high number of Arab citizens of Israel who were showing up to vote. Netanyahu urged his right-wing supporters to vote.
Nur Abu Na, a 30-year-old nurse, called Netanyahu’s government racist toward Arab citizens and said she thought it was important for her Arab community to vote. There are two Arab-majority parties in the elections.
“This government is not good for us or for anyone,” she said.
President Trump has publicly supported Netanyahu. After waging war together against Iran, in June 2025 and again next February, the two leaders plan to launch major attacks against Iran after the Israeli and US midterm elections.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Daniel Estrin reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Ruth Sherlock reported from Jerusalem. Samantha Balaban, Itay Stern, Shir David and Alon Avital contributed reporting from Israel.
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