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Netanyahu Urges Vote as 2.3M Israelis Already Voted

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 2:39 PM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

Netanyahu issued an emergency call urging right-wing supporters to vote Tuesday.
Over 2.3 million Israelis had voted by noon, the highest early turnout since 1977.
Polls show former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party leading Likud by roughly two seats.
Both blocs fall short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.
Arab-Israeli voters, roughly 20 percent of the population, are expected to turn out strongly, potentially blocking Netanyahu’s coalition.

History

Historical Context

In 1977, Likud—created in 1973 from Herut, the Liberal Party and others—won 43 Knesset seats on 17 May, ending three decades of Alignment rule and prompting the first “upheaval” in Israeli politics. The victory forced right-wing coalitions with religious parties, a pattern echoed today as fragmented parties again fall short of the 61-seat majority.

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Story summary

Netanyahu issued an emergency call urging right-wing supporters to vote Tuesday.
Over 2.3 million Israelis had voted by noon, the highest early turnout since 1977.
Polls show former chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party leading Likud by roughly two seats.
Both blocs fall short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.
Arab-Israeli voters, roughly 20 percent of the population, are expected to turn out strongly, potentially blocking Netanyahu’s coalition.

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