Netanyahu’s Vote Share Declines as Counting Progresses
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party holds an initial lead in early vote tallies for Israel’s Knesset election, though its share has steadily declined as counting continues. Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition Yashar Party has gained ground, signaling a tight and unpredictable outcome.
According to initial figures from Israel’s Central Elections Committee cited by Al Jazeera and international outlets on Wednesday (October 28), Likud leads with 21.70% of approximately 2.12 million counted votes. Eisenkot’s Yashar Party follows with 15.72%, while the Joint List, representing Arab citizens, stands at 9.22%. Election officials emphasized that these early figures remain subject to change.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad alliance currently holds 8.38% of the vote. Among other key contenders, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism secured 6.42%, Yisrael Beiteinu 6.27%, The Democrats 5.89%, and the far-right Otzma Yehudit 5.84%.
Voter turnout was notably high, with around 5.7 million of the 7.33 million registered voters casting ballots. At 77.7%, turnout reached its highest level since 1999, surpassing participation in the 2022 election.
Under Israel’s proportional representation system, securing the largest share of the popular vote does not guarantee government formation. Parties must cross a 3.25% electoral threshold to enter the 120-seat Knesset, after which coalition building determines the prime minister.
Exit polls released prior to official results showed no clear majority for any bloc. Projections estimate Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc at around 52 seats, compared to 49 seats for Eisenkot’s opposition alliance and 19 seats for Arab parties combined.
With neither major bloc approaching the required 61-seat majority, smaller parties will play a decisive role in negotiations. Despite Likud’s lead, Netanyahu’s ability to form a government hinge entirely on post-election coalition bargaining.
The Central Elections Committee stated that counting is ongoing, and no outcome should be presumed final until official results are published on November 4.
