Israel Vote Too Close to Call as Netanyahu Vows With Trump to Eliminate Iran Threat
Summary
- Neither camp in Israel’s general election secured a majority of seats, deepening uncertainty over the formation of the next government.
- Netanyahu said Israel had a historic opportunity to work with Donald Trump to permanently eliminate Iran’s existential threat.
- If no bloc wins a majority, coalition talks could drag on or a new election could be held, during which Netanyahu could remain as caretaker prime minister.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
Israel’s general election remained too close to call, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he would work with U.S. President Donald Trump to eliminate the threat posed by Iran.
Reuters reported on October 28 that uncertainty over the formation of the next government was growing after Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and the opposition, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, ran neck and neck in the vote held a day earlier.
Exit polls from major broadcasters showed no clear winner. Kan 11 and Channel 13 each projected 51 seats for the two camps. Channel 12 put Netanyahu’s bloc at 52 seats and Eisenkot’s at 49. Neither side secured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member parliament. Voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest in more than two decades.
In a post-election speech, Netanyahu stressed the need to eliminate the Iranian threat at its root. “Israel has a historic opportunity, together with President Trump, to remove Iran’s existential threat forever,” he said. Political interests, he added, 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 must 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 counts are scheduled to be released on October 29-30. If neither bloc wins a majority, coalition talks could drag on. If those negotiations collapse, a new election could be held, and Netanyahu could remain in office as head of a caretaker government during that period.
