Israeli exit polls show Netanyahu's bloc short of a majority as Palestinian-citizen parties project a record 18 seats

Summary

Exit polls after voting closed on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, suggested neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc nor the Zionist opposition has enough seats to form a government. Public broadcaster Kan projected Netanyahu's bloc at 50 seats and the opposition at 53, far short of the 61-seat majority needed. The Joint List and Ra'am, the two slates representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, were projected to win 18 seats, which would be a record number of Arab MPs in the Knesset. Turnout was high throughout polling day in the first election since the Gaza war and Israel's wider regional conflicts following the 7 October Hamas-led attack. Supporters of the Joint List celebrated at the alliance's headquarters in Nazareth as the exit polls were announced. These are exit polls, not final results.

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   27 Oct 2026, 22:16 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that exit polls projected Netanyahu's bloc at 50 seats and the opposition at 53, and that the Joint List and Ra'am were projected to win 18 seats, a record for Arab MPs in the Knesset.

2. Al Jazeera

   27 Oct 2026, 22:31 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that the Joint Arab List celebrated as exit polls projected as many as 18 parliamentary seats for the Arab bloc, under the headline 'Go home, Ben-Gvir'.