Netanyahu and Eisenkot claim leadership in tight Israeli vote

Benjamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot both asserted their right to lead Israel following Tuesday's election, as early voting counts indicated a tight race. Neither candidate declared victory. The Central Elections Committee was tallying ballots on Wednesday, with final results expected by Thursday.

Israeli media reported that with roughly 48.4 percent of votes counted, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to secure 55 seats. Eisenkot's bloc was expected to win 50 seats. Arab parties were projected to take 15 seats. These numbers are likely to change as more ballots are processed.

Neither camp has reached the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. This projection marks a shift for Netanyahu and his nationalist-religious coalition, whose bloc previously held 68 seats. However, the stalemate benefits Netanyahu by allowing him to remain caretaker prime minister during potentially long coalition negotiations or until a new election is called.

Forming a government remains difficult for both sides. Netanyahu's bloc has excluded Arab parties, who campaigned to remove him and his far-right allies. Eisenkot, who leads the Yashar party, has also largely ruled out including Arab parties in his coalition. The far-right religious parties led by Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are projected to hold a combined 13 seats within Netanyahu's group.

Netanyahu addressed supporters at Likud headquarters in Jerusalem past 3 a.m. local time. He urged the formation of a strong, right-wing national government. He cited Israel's military successes and suggested renewed joint action with U.S. President Donald Trump against Iran. He stated that Israel faces a singular historical opportunity with Trump to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all.

Trump, who endorsed Netanyahu, commented on the race after a campaign trip to Texas. He described the race as pretty close and suggested his endorsement had an effect. He said Netanyahu might be winning or tied, calling a tie a sort of win in that big chess match.

Eisenkot told the public they voted against Netanyahu staying in office and urged him to retire from politics. He described Netanyahu as a caretaker prime minister without a mandate or the people's trust. He called on the security establishment to stand firm against putting political interests ahead of Israel's security.

Turnout reached 77.7 percent, the highest in more than two decades. This figure is about seven percentage points higher than in 2022. Israel's fragmented political system often gives smaller parties kingmaker roles, meaning coalition talks can last weeks or months. If neither side forms a government, another election may be necessary, an outcome Eisenkot opposed given the high participation.

Eisenkot, 66, lost a son and two nephews in the Gaza war. He entered politics four years ago and joined Netanyahu's war cabinet after the 2023 attack before leaving eight months later. He positions himself as a centrist but maintains a hawkish security stance. He opposes Palestinian statehood and argues Hamas' military wing must be destroyed. He believes the war failed because Hamas remains in charge, despite the death of more than 74,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities.

Voters considered the trauma of October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. They also weighed the subsequent wars with Hezbollah and Iran. Netanyahu faces criticism for the security failure but argues he made Israel and the world safer by killing top leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.