Israeli Voters Turn Out In Highest Numbers Since 1999

JERUSALEM: Israeli voters went to the polls Tuesday in numbers the country had not seen in 27 years, deciding whether Benjamin Netanyahu stays as prime minister or Gadi Eisenkot takes the post. The Central Elections Committee reported turnout at 77.7% as of 10 p.m., the highest level since 1999, when polls closed. Early exit polls broadcast on Israeli TV networks showed no clear winner. They did give Eisenkot's bloc of opposition parties a combined 52 seats against 50 for Netanyahu's governing coalition, and projected Likud taking the most individual seats.

This was the first parliamentary election since the Hamas-led attack of October 2023 and the wars that followed in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East. Voters lined up in majority-Arab areas as well. Nur Abu Na, a 30-year-old nurse, called Netanyahu's government racist against Arab citizens and said she believes it matters for her community to vote. There are two predominantly Arab blocs in the race. Netanyahu posted on social media through the day about the number of Arab citizens voting and urged his right-wing supporters to turn out too.

Naama Aaronsohn, a voter, described the stakes bluntly. "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, another voter, said Israel has problems but no one can replace Netanyahu, and that his choice was about security.

The count did not end Tuesday. Vote tallying continues Wednesday, and no bloc has cleared the 61-seat threshold for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Shira Efron, an Israeli policy analyst at the Rand Corp., told NPR that Eisenkot is positioned to receive the mandate from the president to form a government. She said he could try for a minority government or join with Arab politicians. At Eisenkot's election gathering in Tel Aviv, supporters cheered the exit polls. Ophelie Namiech, an opposition supporter there, said, "I'm anxious. Listen, the results are good, but they're complex. It takes time before we have a full picture."

In Jerusalem at the Likud event, screens showed videos of bombs, soldiers and strikes, along with footage of President Trump shaking hands with Netanyahu. Trump has endorsed Netanyahu. The two leaders fought alongside each other against Iran in June 2025 and again this February, and plan major attacks on Iran after the Israeli and U.S. midterm elections. Elie Pieprz, a Netanyahu supporter, said early exit polls have often shifted. "Prime Minister Netanyahu has had a knack of getting over the top when he needed it," he said.

Netanyahu has held the prime minister's post for close to two decades across several terms, making him Israel's longest-serving leader. Party leaders will need days or weeks to negotiate a coalition if neither bloc reaches an outright majority. Vote counting is scheduled to continue Wednesday.