Eisenkot claims exit poll edge, urges Netanyahu to step down and quit politics

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, said on election night that he would move at once to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after television exit polls gave the bloc he leads a narrow advantage. Ynet reported that in a written response to the first polls, Eisenkot described the figures, if confirmed, as a complete rejection of the current government and a win for what he called the statist and Zionist majority, and pledged to set up a "Zionist draft government" as soon as possible.

Later that night Eisenkot addressed supporters at his party's headquarters in Tel Aviv. According to The Times of Israel, he urged Netanyahu to step down and called on the heads of the security services to serve the state and the interests of Israeli citizens alone. Ynet said he was introduced to the crowd as the next prime minister.

What Eisenkot said in his speech

Eisenkot argued that sending the country to another round of voting would be a mistake. N12 reported that he linked this to the high turnout, saying it was his duty and his party's duty to do everything to respect the will of the people.

He acknowledged that official results were still to come. N12 quoted him as saying it was necessary to wait for the real count, but that Netanyahu now faced a Zionist majority that was larger and stronger than before, a clear majority among the public that serves and works.

He also said a fitting leader in Netanyahu's position would announce his retirement that day, according to Ynet. The political commentator Amit Segal, in a post on his Telegram channel, summarised the message as a call for Netanyahu to leave political life entirely. The news site News.co.il quoted Eisenkot as telling supporters: "We made history", and that the public had decided in favour of change.

A message to the security chiefs

The most pointed part of the speech was aimed at the heads of Israel's defence establishment, the military and intelligence agencies that answer to the elected government. N12 quoted Eisenkot as describing Netanyahu as a transitional prime minister and telling the security chiefs to remember they serve the interests of Israeli citizens only, to stand firm against any attempt to undermine them, and that they had his clear backing.

Reports rendered this passage in slightly different words. Segal's summary had Eisenkot calling Netanyahu a prime minister without legitimacy, while News.co.il quoted him as saying Netanyahu was a caretaker without a mandate. In a separate line reported by N12 and Ynet, Eisenkot warned Netanyahu: "Don't you dare use Israel's security for your political needs."

How Israeli election nights work

Israeli television channels publish exit polls, known in Hebrew as midgamim (samples), as soon as voting ends. They are projections, not results, and the final count can shift seats between parties. Israelis vote for national party lists rather than individual candidates, and no party has ever won a majority alone, so the contest is usually framed as one between rival blocs of parties. After the official results, the president consults party leaders and asks a member of parliament to try to assemble a governing coalition.

Until a new government is sworn in, the outgoing cabinet continues to serve. That is the sense in which Eisenkot called Netanyahu a transitional prime minister.

The phrase "draft government" refers to military conscription, a central issue in Israeli politics, including the long-running dispute over drafting ultra-Orthodox men who have largely been exempt. Eisenkot's party presents itself as part of what Ynet called the "change bloc" opposed to Netanyahu.

Other reactions

Ynet also carried responses from other politicians. Yair Golan called the moment a historic opportunity and said it was now his camp's turn. Gideon Saar, a member of Netanyahu's camp, said celebrations on the left were premature.

Where the reports differ

The outlets characterised the polls differently. Ynet described the exit polls as giving Eisenkot's bloc a slight edge on average. The Jerusalem Post reported that Eisenkot declared victory as his bloc took the lead over Netanyahu's, but framed the overall outcome as an election deadlock.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports provided seat projections for either bloc or individual parties, so the size of the advantage Eisenkot cited is not stated. The material does not say whether Eisenkot's bloc would reach a governing majority without additional partners, which parties he intends to bring into a coalition, or how Netanyahu or his Likud party responded to the speech. The reports also do not specify what kind of attempt to undermine the security chiefs Eisenkot had in mind, and the official count was still pending when he spoke.