Supporters of Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot have celebrated preliminary exit polls showing his bloc ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies, although neither side appears to have secured the parliamentary majority needed to form a government.
As projections appeared on giant screens at an election gathering, Eisenkot’s supporters chanted “Bibi, go home!” and “Who’s coming? The next prime minister!”
The exit polls projected the anti-Netanyahu bloc to win between 52 and 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with about 50 seats for the prime minister’s allies. Both sides remained short of the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu’s Likud party was projected to remain the largest single party, with 24 to 25 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar party was forecast to win between 21 and 23 seats.
Declaring victory, Eisenkot said the projections gave him the first right to form a government.
The preliminary figures, however, left the political outcome uncertain, with coalition negotiations expected to determine which side can assemble a governing majority.
In another show of opposition support, activists from the Pink Front gathered at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, waving their trademark pink heart flags, celebrating in a reflecting pool and toasting with sparkling wine as the initial projections emerged.
Among those attending the Yashar rally was Ohad Ben Ami, a former hostage held by Hamas and an honorary candidate on the party’s list.
Ben Ami criticised the government’s handling of negotiations, arguing that the hostages had been abandoned.
Despite the celebrations among opposition supporters, the exit polls remain preliminary and do not constitute official election results.
The coming weeks are expected to be crucial as political parties assess their prospects, negotiate possible alliances and seek the support needed to form Israel’s next government.
