Netanyahu’s Likud Leads Israel Exit Polls as Eisenkot Bloc Edges Ahead Without Majority

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud is projected to remain Israel’s largest party, but the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot is ahead of the prime minister’s coalition camp, according to exit polls released Tuesday, October 27.

Projections from Kan 11, Channel 13 and Channel 12 put Netanyahu’s bloc at 50 seats and the opposition at 52–53. Neither reaches the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

Likud is projected to win 24–25 seats, compared with 21–23 for Eisenkot’s Yashar party. Arab parties are projected to secure a combined 17–18 seats.

The figures are exit-poll estimates, not final election results, and could change as ballots are counted.

After the final tally, President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders before selecting the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government. Coalition negotiations could take weeks.