CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News /Agencies/ Bhopal: Jerusalem. Exit polls for Israel’s 2026 parliamentary election have made the political contest more intriguing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party appears to be emerging as the largest party, but the coalition led by him faces the challenge of securing the majority needed to form a government. On the other hand, the opposition camp led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot also appears to be short of a clear majority.
What do the exit polls say about the seat arithmetic? Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has a total of 120 seats. Support from at least 61 lawmakers is required to form a government. Exit polls by different television networks have given varying seat projections.
According to Kan 11’s projection, Netanyahu’s coalition is estimated to get 50 seats, while the opposition camp is projected to get 53 seats. Channel 14’s exit poll, meanwhile, showed Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition reaching up to 60 seats, one short of a majority. Because of the differences in these projections, attention remains on the final results and the possibilities for coalition formation.
The opposition will also need support to form a government. Despite Likud becoming the largest party, forming a government does not appear easy for Netanyahu. The opposition camp will also have to gather support from other parties to reach a majority. Arab-majority parties are projected to win a total of 17 to 18 seats in the exit polls. In such a situation, these parties could play an important role in government-formation talks, although the main political camps have raised objections to alliances with them.
The process of forming a government will begin after the official results. Exit polls are only initial projections. The final picture will become clear only after counting and the official results are announced. After that, President Isaac Herzog will hold talks with political parties and take forward the process of government formation. If no camp succeeds in securing a majority, the possibility of political deadlock and fresh elections in the country may remain.
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