Netanyahu claims Middle East reset after election polls show Likud lead

With more than half of the ballots counted, The Times of Israel projected that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political bloc would secure 56 seats in the Knesset. Gadi Eisenkot's alliance is currently tracking for 49 seats. Neither grouping is projected to hold a clear path to a governing majority, leaving the post-election landscape fragmented.

Netanyahu addressed supporters at his Likud party headquarters in West Jerusalem on Tuesday, hours after polls closed. He stated that a right-wing government must be formed to ensure long-term security. He argued that the state cannot rely on coalitions with Arab parties, describing them as being against Israel's existence.

According to projections from Israeli Channels 12 and 13, Likud is on track to win an estimated 27 seats. Yashar party, led by Eisenkot, is projected to take 21 seats. This places Likud as the largest single party in the parliament. Netanyahu acknowledged that Likud was projected to become the largest party in Israel, though he noted that the true results were still one or two days away.

In his address, Netanyahu outlined achievements from his current term, which began in 2022. He listed the elimination of high-profile figures including Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He said the government established security zones deep inside Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.

The Prime Minister said Israel had removed an immediate existential threat. He claimed that strikes on the Iranian regime brought it to the edge of the abyss. Netanyahu described Iran as weaker than ever and Israel as stronger than ever. He cited a historical opportunity with United States President Donald Trump to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all.

Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador, said the party that secures the majority of seats may have to seek an uncomfortable coalition deal to govern. He noted that opposition voters would not want their bloc to strike a deal with Netanyahu's coalition. Marwan Bishara, a senior political analyst, observed that Netanyahu attempted to project a kind of success during the speech. Bishara pointed out that this projection hides the fact that Likud is at its lowest point since 2009.

Political analyst Dan Perry said Netanyahu used the speech to spin the situation after exit polls were released. The projections show a tight race for the remaining seats needed to form a stable government.