Dan Scavino, Executive Office of the President of the United States / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Gadi Eisenkot each vowed on Wednesday to form a government after Tuesday's election left neither bloc with a majority — the first election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, and one both camps are now claiming as a mandate. Exit polls put the two blocs at around 51 seats each in the 120-seat Knesset, well short of the 61 needed to govern, with Arab parties projected at 17 to 18 seats.
Netanyahu's speech — and his red line
Netanyahu greeted supporters at a Jerusalem convention centre after 3:00 a.m. local time, calling for a "strong government of the right" and saying that the "Jewish and Zionist majority must unite." He was unusually brief and did not directly claim victory. Instead he listed leaders Israel has killed under his orders and again hinted he was ready for a third bombing campaign against Iran alongside US President Donald Trump, his close ally: "Israel has a unique opportunity with our partner President Trump to forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran," he said. He also ruled out a government backed by Arab parties — "it is out of the question," as Times Now reported his remarks — and, in AP's account, suggested a government relying on Arab votes would lack legitimacy. That red line matters because Arab parties, whose voters turned out in soaring numbers, are the only bloc that could push either camp toward a majority.
Eisenkot's answer
Eisenkot, speaking to his own supporters in Tel Aviv, issued a veiled warning: "Netanyahu, don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs." He called Netanyahu "a caretaker prime minister, without a mandate or the people's trust," and said the public had voted for change: "A worthy leader would accept the people's vote of no confidence and announce his retirement from political life today." The former military chief, a political novice, vowed to work "swiftly" to form a government and said it would be a mistake to hold a second election. Turnout reached nearly 78 percent, the highest since 1999.
The arithmetic — and the way out
The deadlock leaves only narrow paths. Key Arab leader Mansour Abbas said the right had "suffered a major loss" and was open to working with Eisenkot — but Eisenkot said during the campaign he would not govern with Arab lawmakers, and AP noted Arab lawmakers could instead support a minority government in parliamentary votes without joining a coalition. Far-right leader Itamar Ben Gvir, who did not gain as much as many expected, warned Netanyahu against a unity government with Eisenkot: "It would be a terrible mistake." Hebrew University political scientist Gideon Rahat summed up the ambiguity: "Even if Netanyahu lost, that doesn't mean Eisenkot won."
The stakes go beyond coalition arithmetic. Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over Gaza as well as domestic corruption charges that could land him in prison if he loses power, AP noted. Exit polls are projections, not final results — the official count is due in the coming days, and only then will coalition consultations begin in earnest. Until then, Israel faces weeks of bargaining, the possibility of a minority government, or another election — with Netanyahu remaining in office in the meantime.
Sources: Associated Press via New Indian Express (both leaders' vows; Netanyahu's 3 a.m. speech and quotes; Eisenkot quotes; 51-51 projections; 78 percent turnout; Abbas; Ben Gvir; Rahat; ICC warrant and corruption charges); Times Now (Netanyahu's "out of the question" remark on an Arab-backed government; Likud as largest party; Iran remark with Trump); News18 live blog (revised exit polls tying both blocs at 51). Exit polls are projections and seat counts vary slightly between channels; final results are pending.