No Clear Winner in Israel General Election Exit Polls... Heading to 5th Election?

Source: Bloomberg News

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Exit polls from the Israeli general election held on the 23rd (local time) indicate that no party secured a majority of seats, deepening Israel's political turmoil. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fails to form a coalition, Israel is expected to hold an unprecedented fifth general election.

According to Bloomberg News, exit polls conducted by Israel's three major broadcasters showed that Netanyahu's right-wing bloc won only 54 to 55 of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the Knesset (Israeli parliament). The anti-Netanyahu bloc, including the centrist Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid, secured 59 seats. The 'Yamina' party, led by former Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, which is predicted to have won 7 to 8 seats, has not yet declared its position.

If the vote count results are similar to the exit polls, both blocs will need to successfully form additional coalitions to establish a government. The news agency noted that Netanyahu's return to power after 15 years of rule is uncertain, and Yamina could play a 'kingmaker' role by joining Netanyahu's bloc. The agency stated, "The exit poll results suggest that Israel's political deadlock will not be resolved," but added, "Since the vote count has not yet started, the results could change." The election count is expected to be finalized around the 25th to 26th.

Amid political turmoil, Israel has held four general elections in two years, including those in April and September 2019 and March last year. Given the strong nature of this election as a referendum on Netanyahu, the exit poll results indicate that Netanyahu's vaccine rollout achievements were not fully recognized, according to the news agency.

Israel's world-leading COVID-19 vaccination rate was expected to boost Netanyahu's support and help secure his election victory. However, he is currently on trial for bribery, breach of trust, and fraud allegations involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, and public fatigue after 15 years in power is growing, leading to significant opposition to his return to office.

The news agency reported that if Netanyahu does not secure a new term through this election, his political career, having held the longest tenure as prime minister for 15 years, will be in jeopardy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.