Netanyahu Bloc Leads in Israeli Election as Vote Count Continues

Partial results from Israel's national election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc leading the opposition as vote counting continues. The bloc, which includes Likud, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit, and Shas, had accumulated 1,622,659 votes, or 43.17%, according to the Central Elections Committee. Netanyahu's Likud party alone garnered 790,994 votes (21.05%) after a significant portion of ballots were counted.

Conversely, the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, including Yashar, B’Yachad, the Democrats, and Yisrael Beiteinu, had secured 1,409,810 votes, or 37.51%. Eisenkot's Yashar party received 606,897 votes (16.24%).

Based on these preliminary figures, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 54 seats in the Knesset, while the opposition was expected to secure 48 seats, with Arab parties projected to take 18. While these results, if sustained, could position Netanyahu to form the next government, he still requires 61 seats to achieve a governing majority.

Initial exit polls released Tuesday evening varied, with Channel 14 projecting 30 seats for Likud, while Channel 12 and Channel 13 predicted 24 and 25 seats, respectively. Projections for Netanyahu's bloc also differed, ranging from 50 to 60 seats, with some indicating a stronger performance by the opposition.

Netanyahu declared on Tuesday night that the results unequivocally showed "Likud is the largest party in Israel." He asserted that the right-wing bloc holds a "clear, overwhelming majority" and emphasized the necessity of forming a "strong national right-wing government" without relying on "anti-Zionist parties."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar echoed this sentiment, stating that "the left’s celebration is premature" and that "Likud is the biggest party in Israel." He shared archival footage of Menachem Begin, Likud's founder, advocating for patience with election results.

On the other hand, Eisenkot interpreted the initial exit polls as a "complete vote of no confidence" in Netanyahu's government. He claimed a victory for the "Zionist majority" and pledged to act swiftly to "carry out the people’s decision" and form a "Zionist conscription government."

The counting of double-envelope ballots, cast by soldiers and other eligible voters outside their regular stations, is expected to continue into Thursday, with final results anticipated by Friday. The official results are slated for publication on November 4.

Following the announcement of official results, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will consult with party leaders to task a lawmaker with forming a government. This individual is not guaranteed to be the leader of the largest party.

The government formation process allows the designated candidate 28 days, with a potential 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition. If unsuccessful, the president may assign another candidate for a similar period. Should a government still not be formed, the Knesset would have 21 days to select a candidate, followed by a 14-day window for that candidate to form a coalition. Failure to establish a government would lead to new elections approximately 90 days later. President Herzog has stated his commitment to avoiding repeat elections.