Netanyahu and Rival Both Vow to Form Government After Israeli Elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and rival Gadi Eisenkot both vowed on Wednesday to form a government after coming up short in the country's first election since the October 7, 2023, attack. Voters turned out on Tuesday in the highest numbers in decades, reaching nearly 78 percent, which is the highest turnout since 1999.

Election Results

Speaking to cheering supporters at Likud headquarters in Jerusalem just after 3 am local time on Wednesday, October 28, Netanyahu said his Likud party is the largest in Israel and claimed the right-wing bloc won a decisive majority. However, exit polls by the three mainstream Israeli television networks showed Eisenkot and his opposition bloc neck-and-neck with Netanyahu's hard-right camp, with both blocs winning around 51 seats and falling well short of the 61 seats needed to form a government. Netanyahu stated that final results should come within one or two days.

Political Clashes

Netanyahu called for a strong right-wing national government and said Israel must not rely on Arab parties, which he described as being against the country's existence. He attacked television channels and accused opposition parties of trying to form a government with the help of Palestinian-Israeli parties, while also criticising opponents for undermining Israeli soldiers. Meanwhile, Eisenkot spoke to his supporters in Tel Aviv and issued a warning to Netanyahu, calling him a caretaker prime minister without a mandate and telling him not to use national security for political needs. Eisenkot also stated that the public voted for change and that a worthy leader would accept a vote of no confidence and announce their retirement.

Iran Policy

Netanyahu spent a large portion of his speech discussing Iran, stating that Israel and US President Donald Trump have a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eliminate the existential threat from Iran once and for all. Netanyahu also listed leaders Israel has killed under his orders and closed his speech by declaring that Israel had defeated its enemies and would stay forever.

Context

Israeli elections determine the composition of the 120-seat parliament, known as the Knesset, where parties must build coalitions to reach the 61-seat threshold required to govern. High voter turnout often reflects deep political divisions and strong public engagement over the country's security and governance direction.