JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his principal political rival Gadi Eisenkot issued competing claims to lead Israel on Wednesday following Tuesday’s parliamentary elections, even as early official vote tallies indicated a razor-thin margin with no clear winner. Netanyahu urged the formation of a robust right-wing government, whereas Eisenkot asserted that the electorate had explicitly rejected the veteran leader’s continued premiership.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee continued tallying ballots on Wednesday. Definitive and official results of the election—the first general poll held since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack—are expected to be finalized by Thursday.
With 66.2 per cent of ballot boxes officially counted as of 9:20 AM on Wednesday, preliminary figures released by Israel’s Central Elections Committee indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc holds 56 seats, maintaining a narrow lead over the opposition alliance. The opposition coalition, led by Yashar party chief and former military general Gadi Eisenkot, currently stands at 48 seats.
Concurrently, the main Arab political parties—who remain firmly opposed to Netanyahu—have secured 16 seats in the preliminary tally. A minimum threshold of 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset is required to form a governing majority, leaving both major political camps short of an absolute mandate.
Several smaller political factions have currently failed to clear the mandatory 3.25 per cent electoral threshold, including Reservists (2.7 per cent), People of Israel (1.6 per cent), and Charedi Public (0.2 per cent).
Election officials emphasized that these preliminary tallies will fluctuate as vote counting progresses. The final parliamentary composition remains subject to change as double-envelope ballots—which include votes cast by military personnel, diplomats, and hospital staff—are processed in the final stages of evaluation.
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