Israeli Voters Head to Polls in Highest Numbers Since 1999 as Netanyahu's Fate Hangs in Balance

Israeli voters showed up in numbers the country has not seen in nearly three decades on Tuesday.

The Central Elections Committee reported that 77.7% of eligible voters had cast ballots by 10 p.m., the highest turnout since 1999. The contest pits Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Gadi Eisenkot, a center-right former military chief of staff. Netanyahu has spent close to two decades in office across several terms and remains Israel's longest-serving prime minister. This is the first parliamentary election held since the October 2023 Hamas-led attack and the wars that followed in Gaza and other parts of the Middle East.

Voter Naama Aaronsohn said the vote carried weight beyond its surface importance. "Important is an underestimation, because it's much more than important. It's crucial," she said. "I'm worried.. What's going to become of our country if there's not a major change?" Itamar Ariel voted for Netanyahu and said he believes no one else can replace him on security. Nur Abu Na, a 30-year-old nurse in a majority-Arab area, offered a different view: "This government it's not good for us and .. not good for anyone." Two predominantly Arab blocs competed in the election.

Netanyahu posted repeatedly on social media throughout the day pointing to high turnout among Arab citizens of Israel and urging right-wing supporters to vote. Early exit polls released after polls closed at 10 p.m. local time showed Netanyahu's Likud Party taking the most seats, with Eisenkot's Yashar party second. No party secured a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Final results depend on coalition negotiations among alliances, a process that could take days or weeks.

Shira Efron, an Israeli policy analyst at the Rand Corp., told NPR the results were a "very good outcome for Eisenkot" and his recently formed party. Eisenkot addressed supporters at an election event in Tel Aviv as the first exit polls aired. "The public has voted for change," he said. Vote counting continues Wednesday, and the electoral map may still shift.

At the Likud election night gathering in Jerusalem, screens played footage of soldiers, airstrikes and explosions. Clips also showed President Trump with Netanyahu, and Trump had urged voters to reelect Netanyahu to "finish the job that we started." Netanyahu supporter Elie Pieprz said early exit polls have often shifted later in the night. "I've been here many times at different campaigns where at the first hour, that's what the exit polls show, and then you wait a little bit. And Prime Minister Netanyahu has had a knack of getting over the top when he needed it," he said. "Right now we're in a war .. as unattractive as that may be to sound internationally, that's the reality." Opposition supporter Ophelie Namiech, at Eisenkot's event, said she was not ready to call the race: "I'm anxious. Listen, the results are good, but they're complex. It takes time before we have a full picture."

Vote counting continues Wednesday.