Israeli exit polls show stalemate between Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot

Exit polls from Israel's election on Tuesday showed a political stalemate between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot. France 24 English and Il Sole 24 ORE reported that Eisenkot's bloc was narrowly ahead with 52 seats compared to 50 seats for Netanyahu's camp, leaving neither side with a clear path to form a government. [1][12]

Voter turnout reached 77.7 percent, which France 24 English noted was the highest in more than two decades. South China Morning Post reported that the vote marked the country's first election since the October 7, 2023 attacks. Ahead of the poll close, Middle East Eye reported that Israel's Central Elections Committee rejected a request by Netanyahu's party to extend voting past 10:00 pm local time. [1][5][6]

Eisenkot is a 66-year-old candidate shaped by military culture, according to Al-Monitor. Netanyahu has served as prime minister of Israel since 2022, having previously held office from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021 as Israel's longest-serving prime minister. [2][13]

Middle East Eye reported that Eisenkot said early Wednesday that Israel had chosen change and that he would seek to form a new government. Eisenkot also warned Netanyahu not to use the security of Israel for political needs and stated that it would be a mistake to rerun the election. [4]