Israeli Arab parties claim kingmaker status in extra-tight vote

Summary

Exit polls in Israel's extra-tight parliamentary vote showed the two Israeli Arab parties are likely to have almost doubled their number of seats in Parliament, to 18, according to The Straits Times. The parties are claiming kingmaker status because the result hinges on their support.

Timeline

1. The Straits Times

   28 Oct 2026, 01:13 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that exit polls showed the two Israeli Arab parties are likely to have almost doubled their number of seats in Parliament to 18, and that the parties claim kingmaker status in an extra-tight vote.

2. NDTV

   28 Oct 2026, 04:12 UTCSource ↗

   Reports that Israeli Arab parties claim kingmaker status in an extra-tight vote, with a photo of Gadi Eisenkot casting his vote at a polling station in Herzliya.