Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit Wins Six Seats in Exit Polls as Netanyahu Bloc Drops
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party won six seats in exit polls as the Netanyahu bloc dropped to 50 seats. Ben Gvir warned against a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot.
Otzma Yehudit, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, secured six seats in the election exit polls, falling short of the double-digit representation the party had anticipated. Meanwhile, the broader right-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped from 64 seats down to 50.
Arriving at the party headquarters in Modi'in shortly before midnight, Ben Gvir addressed his supporters and warned against the formation of a unity government that would include Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot. "Tonight we are writing another chapter in the development of Otzma Yehudit," Ben Gvir told the crowd, recalling the party's history of struggling to pass the electoral threshold before running independently.
Highlighting his tenure as National Security Minister, Ben Gvir defended his hardline policies, including the demolition of thousands of illegal structures in the Negev and tougher conditions for security prisoners in Israeli penitentiaries. He also criticized politicians discussing a potential unity government with Eisenkot, describing such an administration as a government of paralysis.
