Eisenkot Tells Netanyahu to Quit as Exit Polls Show 51-51 Split
(MENAFN) Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step away from politics early Wednesday, declaring that voters had turned down his bid to stay in power and cautioning him against exploiting national security for political ends.
Addressing supporters at the Tel Aviv headquarters of his Yashar party, Eisenkot said Israelis had cast their ballots for change. He vowed to work with his allies on a government that represents every part of society.
“It would be a mistake to hold another election, and it is my duty to do everything possible to carry out the will of the people,” Eisenkot said.
He conceded that final results had yet to come in. Even so, he argued, Netanyahu already confronted a bigger and stronger “Zionist majority” that opposed his continued rule.
Turning to the prime minister directly, Eisenkot warned: “Do not dare use Israel’s security for your political needs.”
He also made a pointed appeal to the country’s security chiefs, reminding them that Netanyahu leads only a caretaker government and that their duty is to the public. He offered them his backing against any attempt to pressure them.
“Remember that you serve only the interests of Israel’s citizens,” Eisenkot said.
Eisenkot declared the era of division and incitement over. He pledged to build a Zionist government centered on military conscription.
His remarks came as an updated exit poll from an Israeli television network put Netanyahu’s bloc and Eisenkot’s opposition bloc level at 51 seats apiece. Arab parties were projected to take 18 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
A projection from a rival Israeli television network earlier gave Eisenkot’s bloc 52 seats, Netanyahu’s 50 and Arab parties 18. Neither poll placed either camp at the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
The rival network also reported that President Isaac Herzog was expected to ask Eisenkot to form the next government. That decision, it noted, will hinge on the official results and the recommendations of the parliamentary parties.
Voter turnout hit 77.7%, the highest since 1999 and 7.1 percentage points above the 2022 election, according to the Central Elections Committee.
Counting began after polls closed at 10 pm local time (2000GMT) on Tuesday. Exit polls are projections, not official results, and the final tally is due on Nov. 4.
Addressing supporters at the Tel Aviv headquarters of his Yashar party, Eisenkot said Israelis had cast their ballots for change. He vowed to work with his allies on a government that represents every part of society.
“It would be a mistake to hold another election, and it is my duty to do everything possible to carry out the will of the people,” Eisenkot said.
He conceded that final results had yet to come in. Even so, he argued, Netanyahu already confronted a bigger and stronger “Zionist majority” that opposed his continued rule.
Turning to the prime minister directly, Eisenkot warned: “Do not dare use Israel’s security for your political needs.”
He also made a pointed appeal to the country’s security chiefs, reminding them that Netanyahu leads only a caretaker government and that their duty is to the public. He offered them his backing against any attempt to pressure them.
“Remember that you serve only the interests of Israel’s citizens,” Eisenkot said.
Eisenkot declared the era of division and incitement over. He pledged to build a Zionist government centered on military conscription.
His remarks came as an updated exit poll from an Israeli television network put Netanyahu’s bloc and Eisenkot’s opposition bloc level at 51 seats apiece. Arab parties were projected to take 18 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
A projection from a rival Israeli television network earlier gave Eisenkot’s bloc 52 seats, Netanyahu’s 50 and Arab parties 18. Neither poll placed either camp at the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority.
The rival network also reported that President Isaac Herzog was expected to ask Eisenkot to form the next government. That decision, it noted, will hinge on the official results and the recommendations of the parliamentary parties.
Voter turnout hit 77.7%, the highest since 1999 and 7.1 percentage points above the 2022 election, according to the Central Elections Committee.
Counting began after polls closed at 10 pm local time (2000GMT) on Tuesday. Exit polls are projections, not official results, and the final tally is due on Nov. 4.
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