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No clear winner in Israel’s election, first exit polls show
Early exit poll results are showing Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition coalition both falling short of the seats needed for a majority.
🚨🇮🇱 BREAKING:
Israel’s election has delivered a DEADLOCK, and Netanyahu’s future is hanging in the balance.
Channel 12’s exit poll puts Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc at 52 seats, Netanyahu’s at 50, and the Arab parties at 18.
The magic number is 61. Neither major bloc is even close.
After record-breaking voter turnout and a bitter election campaign, neither side has a clear path to forming a government without additional support.
And here’s the twist: Netanyahu could lose the election battle and STILL remain prime minister while coalition negotiations drag on.
These are exit polls, not final results. Israel’s political future now comes down to who can put together 61 seats.
Source: @clashreport / Writer: Oliver
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 27, 2026
🇮🇱 As Israel votes today, the final polls point to no clear winner.
Netanyahu bloc: 50
Opposition bloc: 54
Arab-led parties: ~13
Needed to govern: 61Neither side gets there alone. Here are the 5 ways this could play out 👇
1. Opposition wins outright. If Eisenkot’s bloc hits 61, Yashar, Bennett & Lapid’s bloc, Liberman, and the Democrats form a government. The catch: Bennett and Liberman have been cool on Eisenkot as PM.
2. Netanyahu wins another term. If his bloc hits 61, he rebuilds the current coalition with Shas, UTJ, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. Polls rated this the least likely outcome.
3. Minority government. Eisenkot could take office without 61 if Arab parties abstain on the confidence vote. The catch: Liberman has ruled it out.
4. Unity government. Netanyahu and Eisenkot share power, possibly rotating as PM. Both have publicly rejected it, but a long deadlock could push President Herzog to broker one.
5. Deadlock. No one reaches a majority, the Knesset dissolves, and Israel votes again, with Netanyahu staying on as caretaker PM in the meantime.What to watch: exit polls when voting closes tonight, official results by Nov 4, and up to 6 weeks of coalition talks after that. These are pre-election polls, not results.
Writer: Jamie
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 27, 2026
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