Israeli Election Ends in Deadlock as Eisenkot and Netanyahu Camps Run Neck and Neck
Exit polls show Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc level with Benjamin Netanyahu's camp, leaving neither side a clear path to forming a government.
Israel's wartime election ended in deadlock on Tuesday, with exit polls showing the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot running neck and neck with the camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Neither side appears to have a clear path to power.
The projections pointed to a setback for Netanyahu's coalition and suggested that weeks of political negotiations could follow before a new government can be formed. In a system based on parliamentary blocs, the eventual composition of a governing majority will depend on coalition talks rather than on the outcome of the vote alone.
The election took place against the backdrop of the ongoing war, a context that has shaped the campaign and the choices facing voters. Because the exit polls show both blocs close to the threshold needed for a majority, the final count and the negotiations that follow will determine which camp can assemble a workable government.
FRANCE 24's Jerusalem correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky is reporting on the results and their implications for the coming weeks of political wrangling.
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