Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar! party, vowed Tuesday night to act immediately to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government after Israel's election exit polls gave the bloc seeking political change a narrow advantage, although neither side secured the parliamentary majority needed to form a government.
"The initial results indicate a complete vote of no confidence in Netanyahu and the government of October 7 by the Zionist majority and the majority of Israeli citizens," Eisenkot said, referring to the government in office during the Hamas-led attack on Israel.
"If these are the final results, this is a victory for the mainstream Zionist majority in Israel," he added. "I will act immediately to implement the people's decision, replace Netanyahu's government and establish a Zionist government committed to military conscription as soon as possible."
The average of the exit polls published by Kan 11, Channels 12 and 13 gives the change bloc 53 seats, compared with 50 for Netanyahu's bloc. The Arab parties are projected to win a combined 17 seats, leaving neither of the two main political blocs with the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Despite the narrow lead for Netanyahu's opponents, Likud is projected to remain Israel's largest individual party, setting the stage for potentially difficult coalition negotiations once the official results are known.
Eisenkot's Yashar! projected to win 19 to 23 seats
Eisenkot's Yashar! party is projected to win 21 seats in Kan 11's exit poll, 22 in Channel 12's and 23 in Channel 13's. The i24NEWS poll gives the party 20 seats, while Channel 14 projects 19.
Across all five exit polls, the former military chief's party averages 21 seats, placing it among the country's largest political factions, behind Likud.
Eisenkot, Israel's 21st IDF chief of staff, entered politics in 2022, three years after leaving military service. He joined Benny Gantz's National Unity alliance and was placed third on its electoral list.
Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, Eisenkot joined Netanyahu's emergency wartime government alongside his party and served as a minister without portfolio.
On December 7, 2023, his son Gal was killed in combat in the Gaza Strip.
In June 2025, Eisenkot announced his departure from National Unity. Two months later, he established Yashar!, which subsequently emerged as a leading party in opinion polls ahead of Tuesday's election.
In recent months, Eisenkot did not rule out forming a minority government with outside parliamentary support from Ra'am and potentially some members of the Joint List. However, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman rejected that possibility, saying he would not agree to such an arrangement.
With the exit polls showing no outright majority for either main bloc, that disagreement remains a significant obstacle to assembling a governing coalition.
Yair Golan: ‘The public has fired Netanyahu's government’
Democrats leader Yair Golan, a retired IDF major general who has expressed support for a government including Ra'am, also welcomed the exit poll results, describing them as an opportunity to replace Netanyahu.
"The public has spoken. It has fired Netanyahu's government," Golan said. "We have been given a historic opportunity to establish a genuine government of change in Israel, and we have no intention of giving it up."
"We represent an enormous public that has fought in the streets for four years, joined the party and gone out into the field to persuade voters," he continued. "We will do everything we can to ensure that such a government is formed."
Golan said his party was prepared to cooperate with other political factions to overcome disagreements and establish a new coalition.
"We are ready to work with all our partners, bridge the gaps and take responsibility," he said. "The public has spoken. Now it is our turn to do the work."
Sa'ar: ‘The left is celebrating too early’
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, a senior Likud figure, offered a sharply different interpretation of the exit polls, warning Netanyahu's opponents against treating the projections as a victory.
"The celebrations on the left are premature," Sa'ar said.
"According to the exit polls, one thing appears fairly clear: Likud is the largest party in Israel."
His remarks highlighted the central uncertainty emerging from the projections. Although the change bloc holds a narrow lead over Netanyahu's allies in the average of the three main exit polls, Likud remains the largest single party, and neither bloc has enough seats to govern independently.
The final balance could still change as votes are counted, particularly with hundreds of thousands of special double-envelope ballots from soldiers, diplomats and other eligible voters requiring separate verification. Election officials have warned that the count could continue into Friday morning.
Even after the final results are published, President Isaac Herzog will need to consult the elected parties before deciding which lawmaker has the best prospect of forming a government.
For Eisenkot and his allies, the projections represent an opening to replace Netanyahu. For Likud, its position as the largest party provides grounds to challenge claims of an opposition victory. The immediate question is not simply which bloc finishes ahead, but whether any candidate can assemble the parliamentary support needed to govern.