On Tuesday, October 27, Israelis are voting for the 120-seat Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot, and recent polls gave neither bloc a majority.
Polling stations are open from 7:00 to 22:00 local time, which is until 21:00 in Poland. According to the magazine “Time”, Israeli media are expected to broadcast exit polls after the polls close. The final vote count is expected by October 30, and official results are to be published on November 4. As of publication, there are no voting results yet.
Netanyahu cast his vote with his wife Sara at a school in Jerusalem, around noon local time, according to “Time”. He is the longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history.
What the latest polls said
According to a summary by Haaretz, cited by Al Jazeera, the average of Friday polls from Channels 11, 12 and 13 gave Netanyahu’s camp 50 seats and Eisenkot’s opposition bloc 54. A majority in the Knesset requires 61 of 120 seats, so neither side reaches it.
As reported by “The Times of Israel”, a Channel 13 poll gave Eisenkot’s party Yashar 22 seats, Netanyahu’s Likud 19, Naftali Bennett’s party Beyachad 14, and the left-wing Democrats 10. Several smaller lists, including Winter and Leitner, did not pass the electoral threshold according to these surveys. The result may therefore depend on how many votes go to parties outside parliament.
Context
This is the first parliamentary election in Israel since Hamas’s attack of October 7, 2023. The campaign unfolded against the backdrop of war and tensions in the West Bank. A few days ago we wrote about Netanyahu’s announcement of a broad operation after the attack near Hebron, which he spoke about just before the vote.
Winning the election does not decide who forms the government. After the results are announced, the Israeli president designates a candidate for prime minister, who has limited time to build a coalition. If the blocs are tied, negotiations with smaller parties may be decisive.
What it means
For Poland, the result will not directly affect prices or regulations. However, it will determine who conducts Israel’s policy toward Gaza, the West Bank and Iran. Exit polls will appear on Tuesday evening, but certainty about the balance of power may only come after several days of vote counting and coalition talks.
