Israeli election leaves the entity deeply divided, with Netanyahu’s bloc at 57 seats, Eisenkot’s camp at 49, and neither able to form a government.
With 66% of ballot boxes counted, the opposition bloc's projected seat tally has begun rising again, while the latest figures indicate a potential increase in seats for Arab parties, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in occupied Palestine reported.
This challenges earlier numbers showing a shift in Knesset elections after roughly half of the votes were counted, according to our correspondent, pushing Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud well ahead of Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party.
According to preliminary results, Likud won 27 seats as a single party, while the bloc it leads secured 57 seats. The coalition led by Yashar won 49. Neither camp has yet reached the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, which a party, alone or in alliance with others, requires to form a government.
Our correspondent added that the figures mark a significant change from the exit polls broadcast by Israeli channels on Tuesday night. Those polls, released when voting stations closed at 10 pm local time, showed Eisenkot’s camp with a slight lead over Netanyahu’s.
Our correspondent stressed that the current results do not settle the final makeup of the Knesset or the shape of the coalition.
Other details from the count:
- About 50% of votes have been counted so far.
- Votes cast by soldiers in the Israeli army will be counted Thursday at midday.
- The Haredi parties show a decline.
- The Arab List shows a decline compared to yesterday, while the Joint List has held steady.
- Exit poll: Change camp ahead
Israeli Kan channel has projected Likud as the largest party with 25 seats. Its poll gave the Change camp 52 seats, including 21 for Eisenkot, against 50 for Netanyahu’s camp. The Arab parties took 18 seats, including 7 for the United Arab List.
Yedioth Ahronoth said Likud’s loss of 8 seats and a decline of 18 seats for the right-wing camp open the door for the Change bloc to form a government. About 70 seats, it noted, still stand behind the slogan “anyone but Bibi,” a rejection of a government headed by Netanyahu.
The newspaper said the decision now passes to President Isaac Herzog, who may seek a unity government. It warned that Netanyahu could contest the results and demand the mandate to form a government on the grounds that Likud is the largest party.
The paper also cautioned that disputes within the Change camp over leadership, cabinet posts, and platforms could undermine its chances. It urged Eisenkot to “act immediately” by convening the Knesset, replacing its speaker and forming a minority government.
It also attributed “primary responsibility” for the rise of the Arab parties, which now hold 18 seats, to Netanyahu and his partners, chiefly Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. They have built, it said, a camp “three times the size of their own party.”
Eisenkot: 'Do not use Israel’s security for your political purposes'
In a speech at his party’s headquarters on Tuesday, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot warned Netanyahu against exploiting security matters for political ends. He also said that heading to new elections would be a mistake.
“Millions of Israelis are fed up with the culture of lies,” he said. “Millions voted in favor of conscription for all, and I will work with all my strength to form a Zionist conscription government. I can promise you that the era of draft evasion is over.”
He added that he would represent all segments of the Israeli public, calling the result “not the victory of one side over another” but “the victory of the entire people of Israel.”
Eisenkot said his government would be committed to recognizing "Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, to the values of the Declaration of Independence, to passing a universal service law, and to dismantling Hamas."
Addressing the heads of the security and military establishment, he described Netanyahu as “a caretaker prime minister without a mandate or trust.”
Ya’alon: Seize the Knesset, form a government now
Former chief of staff and security minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon urged the leaders of the Change camp to take control of the Knesset and form a government quickly, even before the count for the 26th Knesset is complete.
In a post on social media, he declared, “The government of the redemptionists, the draft evaders, the corrupt, and the traitors has been defeated!” He called on the camp’s leaders to act “in cooperation with Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz.”
Ya’alon also accused Netanyahu of possibly igniting a war with Iran to stay in power.
He warned that any delay would allow “the redemptionists to continue committing massacres in Judea and Samaria,” referring to the West Bank, and concluded with, “Make decisions quickly and save Israel!”
Source: Al Mayadeen
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