Israel Election Too Close to Call as Netanyahu Vows With Trump to Eliminate Iran Threat

Israel's election remained too close to call, with the ruling and opposition camps locked in a tight race and uncertainty growing over the formation of the next government.

Reuters reported on October 28 that Netanyahu's right-wing alliance and the opposition led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot were running neck and neck after the election held a day earlier.

Exit polls from major broadcasters showed no clear winner. Kan 11 and Channel 13 projected 51 seats each for the two camps. Channel 12 put Netanyahu's bloc at 52 seats and Eisenkot's at 49. Neither side was projected to win the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member parliament. Voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest level in more than two decades.

In a post-election speech, Netanyahu stressed that Iran's threat must be eliminated at its root. "Israel has a historic opportunity, together with President Trump, to remove Iran's existential threat forever," he said, adding that political interests must not stand in the way of that goal.

Eisenkot, by contrast, said voters had rejected Netanyahu's return to power and urged him to retire from politics. He also said Netanyahu should not use national security for political purposes and called on the military and security agencies to put national security ahead of political interests.

Final vote results are scheduled to be announced on October 29 and October 30. If neither camp secures a majority, coalition talks could drag on. If those negotiations collapse, Israel could head to another election, while Netanyahu would remain caretaker prime minister in the meantime.