Five key takeaways from Israel’s parliamentary elections

Exit polls from Israel's election show a neck-and-neck race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, with neither probable to secure a clear path to a governing majority.

Key points

• Late-night exit polls from Israel's Channel 12 broadcaster projected the Netanyahu bloc would win 52 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or Israeli parliament.
• The Central Elections Committee documented that 77.7 percent of eligible voters participated in Israel's election, the highest turnout since 1999.
• The far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised his Otzma Yehudit party's election performance in a speech to supporters at its headquarters.
• Tuesday's vote was largely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu's leadership and response to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent genocidal war on Gaza.
• Israel's military remarked turnout among soldiers had climbed beyond 68 percent by 5pm local time (15: 00 GMT).

It additionally came as Israel's pogroms in the occupied West Bank have escalated, and against the backdrop of mounting tensions with a number of of its neighbours, numerous of whom it has attacked previously three years. Here are five key takeaways from the Israeli elections so far. Exit polls show a dead heat between Netanyahu, rival bloc.

Late-night exit polls from Israel's Channel 12 broadcaster projected the Netanyahu bloc would win 52 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or Israeli parliament. Netanyahu was edging out the opposition bloc led by former Israeli military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party. It was projected to win 49 seats.

Israel's Channel 13 earlier indicated the two blocs were tied, with each winning 51 seats.

Polling indicated that Netanyahu's Likud party – which leads his wider bloc – could emerge as the single largest party with an estimated 27 seats to 21 for Eisenkot's Yashar party, according to updated projections from Channels 12 and 13 – giving Likud a clear lead over all others in the parliament.

Arab parties were projected to win 19 seats collectively, building on their 2022 performance.

Israelis vote for parties. It then form alliances to create a governing coalition with a prime minister at the helm. No single party has ever won a 61-seat majority.

Published by the major Israeli television networks, exit polls are unofficial indicators of the vote. Preliminary official results are projected on Wednesday, and may vary from the exit polls. Leaders react, predict end to Netanyahu's reign.

Opposition bloc leader Eisenkot. This person was mounting a challenge to Netanyahu, remarked the Israeli public had voted for change and against the incumbent prime minister.

Addressing supporters at his Yashar party headquarters, Eisenkot remarked "this will be a new start. A real new start on a new path. The old era is over, and Israel is starting a new era."

But the Israeli prime minister informed supporters that his Likud party is dominant and called on the formation of a "national right-wing government".

"What we've seen is that the Likud party is the largest party – nobody can compete with us, " he remarked. "The second thing that is clear as well is that the right bloc has a majority. And it is a decisive majority."

He additionally accused Israeli television channels of trying to discourage his supporters from voting by projecting stronger results for opposition parties.

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich informed supporters that his party was projected to win seven seats, vowing to continue expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

For context, the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised his Otzma Yehudit party's election performance in a speech to supporters at its headquarters.

"We are very proud of our journey", Ben-Gvir remarked. "This party was not even existing on the political landscape."

Democrats leader Yair Golan remarked on X that Israeli voters had "fired the Netanyahu government" and pledged to work with political partners to form a new administration.

Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas remarked he hopes the final election results will let the opposition bloc and his party hold the 61 seats needed to form a administration. The party was projected to win around seven seats. Record turnout among voters.

For context, the Central Elections Committee documented that 77.7 percent of eligible voters participated in Israel's election, the highest turnout since 1999. Turnout was up 7.1 percentage points from 2022, when Netanyahu. This person has served as prime minister off and on since 1996, returned to office.

Israel's military remarked turnout among soldiers had climbed beyond 68 percent by 5pm local time (15: 00 GMT). More than 60, 000 Israelis additionally returned home from abroad to take part in the vote.

Polling stations closed at 10pm local time (20: 00 GMT), but the committee, the country's official elections body, remarked anyone waiting in line at that time would be allowed to vote. Arab parties accuse Netanyahu of inciting hatred to scare voters.

Prominent politicians from Arab-led lists accused Netanyahu of inciting hatred against Palestinian citizens in Israel in an attempt to boost his electoral prospects.

Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, remarked in a video statement shared on social media on Tuesday that Netanyahu knew that "we can put an end to his bloody reign".

Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List, denounced Netanyahu's comments as a "scare tactic to mobilise right-wing voters and drive them to the polls".

In a series of posts on X on Tuesday, Netanyahu attacked Arab voters, describing them as "Muslim Brotherhood supporters" and accusing them of "raiding the polling stations and stealing the elections".

In a separate post, he pressed right-wing Israelis to "go out and vote for Likud", referring to his political party and describing the situation as a "matter of life and death for us". What could happen next.

After the vote is finalised, the parties will immediately commence negotiations to try to reach the 61-seat majority.

In practice, the bloc with the most votes will have different options to assemble backing from smaller parties, including forming a minority administration or working with another political leader to alternate as prime minister under a power-sharing arrangement.

Once the final count is in, President Isaac Herzog will speak with party leaders regarding who they want as prime minister, then tap the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a administration.

In practice, the person nominated then has up to 42 days to form a administration.

If no administration emerges, Netanyahu and his current cabinet will remain as a caretaker administration.

If negotiations fail and no coalition can form a administration, new elections will be called.

Meanwhile, the final vote tally is projected by Friday, and official election results are formally published a week after the election, on November 4.

In short, five key takeaways from Israel's parliamentary elections is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.