Eisenkot Claims Victory as His Bloc Edges Ahead of Netanyahu's Despite Deadlock

Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot issued a statement on Tuesday night declaring victory in Israel's election. He argued that the preliminary results should give him the first opportunity to form a government to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

At the time of writing, Eisenkot had not yet appeared in public. According to the report, coordination was under way behind the scenes with the leaders of the other parties in his bloc.

Early results reported by Channels 11, 12 and 13 put Eisenkot's bloc ahead of Netanyahu's by 53-50 or 52-50. In a head-to-head comparison of the two leaders' parties, however, Netanyahu came out slightly ahead, with projections of 24-22, 25-23 or 25-21.

At Eisenkot's headquarters, supporters erupted in cheers when the bloc balance was announced. There were a few anxious seconds beforehand, when they saw that Netanyahu's party had won the most seats.

In Israel's political system, the largest bloc usually gets the first right to try to form a government. It can also likely take control of the Knesset while a government is being formed. Even so, the delay in Eisenkot's public appearance pointed to the sensitive challenges he faces.

Chief among them is persuading coalition partners, most notably Avigdor Liberman, to accept a government or to rely on minority support from Israeli-Arab parties. Liberman ruled that out during the campaign. Some commentators suggested he might reconsider given the high turnout, but the Yisrael Beytenu leader is known for holding firmly to his principles.

Earlier on Tuesday, Eisenkot had hoped for a larger win. Even then, the strength of the Israeli-Arab parties, which are not formally tied to either bloc, meant he was not expected to form the next government easily, even with more votes than Netanyahu's right-wing bloc.

Eisenkot's election day began early in Ofakim and Nir Oz along the Gaza corridor, where he highlighted the failures of the previous government to prevent Hamas's October 7 invasion. He then headed north to Ashdod, with other stops along the way, before voting in Herzliya at 1:45 p.m. His day was due to end at his election night headquarters at the National Sports Complex in Tel Aviv.

By late morning, Yashar had already filed complaints with the Israeli Election Commission alleging systematic vandalism and destruction of ballots bearing the party's name at several voting sites.

Eisenkot's strongest support comes from voters who blame Netanyahu for October 7, and from those who fault him and his bloc for failing to draft the haredi sector into the IDF, even after more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers have died in recent years.