Israeli Politicians Clash Over Exit Polls as Opposition Urges New Government
Israeli politicians reacted to exit polls on Tuesday, with Likud Minister Miki Zohar warning against a government backed by Arab parties, while opposition figures urged the swift formation of a new coalition following a projected drop in Netanyahu's bloc mandates.
Following the release of exit polls on Tuesday, Israeli politicians reacted sharply to the projected election results. Likud Minister Miki Zohar warned that any attempt by Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and Gadi Eisenkot to form a government backed by Arab parties would carry a heavy political cost.
"If Eisenkot, Lieberman, and Bennett try to form a government with the Arab parties, it will spell their political end in a very short time," Zohar wrote in a social media post. "The public will neither forgive nor forget."
Meanwhile, opposition figures hailed the projected outcome as a decisive rejection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. MK Efrat Raiten of The Democrats (HaDemokratim) stated that the polls reflect a profound lack of public trust in the current administration, noting that Netanyahu’s right-wing and Haredi bloc plummeted significantly.
MK Gilad Kariv echoed these sentiments, describing the drop in projected mandates for Netanyahu’s bloc as one of the largest crashes in Israeli political history. Kariv asserted that the change bloc must act swiftly to establish a new government and prevent attempts to disrupt the transition of power.
MK Naama Lazimi also welcomed the results, declaring the end of the Netanyahu era and urging immediate steps toward a political overhaul. Opposition lawmakers emphasized that preparations for forming a new governing coalition must begin immediately.
