“The initial results indicate a complete vote of no confidence in Netanyahu”: Eisenkot vows to replace PM
Exit polls give the opposition bloc a narrow lead, with Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar projected to win an average of 21 seats. But Likud remains the largest party, and the 17 seats projected for Arab parties could prove pivotal as neither bloc has the majority needed to form a government.
Gadi Eisenkot vowed to move immediately to replace Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on Tuesday night, declaring that Israel’s election exit polls showed a sweeping rejection of the prime minister, even as the projections left the opposition short of a parliamentary majority.
“The initial results indicate a complete vote of no confidence in Netanyahu and the government of October 7 by the Zionist majority and the majority of Israeli citizens,” Eisenkot said, referring to the government in office during the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023.
“If these are the final results, this is a victory for the mainstream Zionist majority in Israel,” he added. “I will act immediately to implement the people's decision, replace Netanyahu's government and establish a Zionist government committed to military conscription as soon as possible.”
The average of exit polls published by Kan 11, Channels 12 and 13 gives the bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 50 for the prime minister’s allies. Arab parties are projected to win a combined 17 seats, leaving neither of the two main blocs with the 61 seats required for a majority.
The result puts Eisenkot at the center of the effort to form an alternative government, but his declaration of victory comes with a significant qualification: the opposition’s projected lead does not itself provide a clear route to power. Likud is still projected to be the largest individual party, while disagreements over whether to rely on Arab parties could complicate coalition negotiations.
Arab parties could hold the key to coalition formation
The projected 17 seats for Arab parties could become one of the most consequential elements of the result. Eisenkot has not ruled out forming a minority government with outside parliamentary support from Ra’am and potentially some members of the Joint List. Such an arrangement could help the opposition bridge the gap between its projected seat total and the support needed to govern.
But the idea has already exposed divisions among Netanyahu’s opponents. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman has rejected the prospect of relying on Arab parties, saying he would not agree to such an arrangement. That stance could make it harder for Eisenkot to assemble a government even if the opposition bloc retains its projected lead.
Democrats leader Yair Golan, a retired IDF major general who has expressed support for a government including Ra’am, said the exit polls presented an opportunity that the opposition should not waste.
“The public has spoken. It has fired Netanyahu's government,” Golan said. “We have been given a historic opportunity to establish a genuine government of change in Israel, and we have no intention of giving it up.”
Golan framed the result as the culmination of a sustained political campaign. “We represent an enormous public that has fought in the streets for four years, joined the party and gone out into the field to persuade voters,” he said. “We will do everything we can to ensure that such a government is formed.”
He added that his party was prepared to negotiate with other factions despite their differences. “We are ready to work with all our partners, bridge the gaps and take responsibility,” Golan said. “The public has spoken. Now it is our turn to do the work.”
Whether that willingness extends to compromises over Arab-party support remains a critical question. The exit polls do not establish that the Arab parties will back an opposition-led government, nor do their projected seats guarantee that the opposition can command a stable majority. Their role will depend on the negotiations that follow the final count and on whether potential coalition partners can reconcile their competing commitments.
The final distribution of seats remains uncertain. Hundreds of thousands of special double-envelope ballots, including those cast by soldiers, diplomats and other eligible voters, still require separate verification. Election officials have warned that counting could continue into Friday morning, and the final balance may differ from the exit polls.
After the official results are published, President Isaac Herzog will consult the elected parties before deciding which lawmaker has the best prospect of forming a government.
