Exit polls trigger heated debate across Israeli political divide

Published On 28 Oct 202628 Oct 2026Israeli political leaders have traded sharp reactions to exit poll projections showing no clear winner between the country’s main political blocs.Updated figures broadcast by Israel’s Channel 13 showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-led coalition tied at 51 seats with the opposition bloc led by challenger Gadi Eisenkot in the 120-seat Knesset.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3No clear mandate projected in Israel election: What’s next?list 2 of 3A bad day for Ben-Gvir as he addresses his supporterslist 3 of 3Gaza’s women filmmakers turn pain into cinema as new academy launchesend of listDespite narrower exit poll figures, opposition leaders insisted the result was a defeat for the government.Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party and a former military chief of staff, told supporters after voting closed that the initial projections showed a “complete lack of confidence in Netanyahu and the October 7 government”, according to the AFP news agency.“Don’t let anyone confuse you: the Netanyahu bloc has suffered a crushing defeat,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a statement. “This is a total collapse and the public has told them t...