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Israeli Election Ends in Deadlock as Bolsonaro Flees Brazil for US with Trump Visa Pledge

By Market Flux···2 min read
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Israel's first general election since the October 7, 2023 attacks ended in a deadlock on Tuesday, with exit polls from all five major broadcasters showing neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot securing the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. Three of the main polls gave Eisenkot's bloc 52 to 53 seats and Netanyahu's bloc 50, though updated polls from Channels 12, 13, and Kan 11 later revised the figures to a near tie of 51 seats each, with Arab parties projected to win roughly 18 seats. Likud was projected to be the largest single party in the 120-seat Knesset, with between 24 and 30 seats depending on the broadcaster, while Eisenkot's Yashar party was projected at 19 to 22 seats.

Voter turnout reached 77.7% by final count, the highest in more than two decades, with Arab Israeli communities turning out in record numbers. Eisenkot declared the result showed "complete no-confidence in Netanyahu and the October 7 government" and called it a victory for the mainstream Zionist majority, also calling on Netanyahu to announce his retirement from political life. Netanyahu countered that Likud had received the largest single-party vote. Arab parties, projected to hold around 18 seats, were being discussed as potential kingmakers, though coalition negotiations involving them are considered complicated given pre-election promises by anti-Netanyahu parties not to govern with Arab factions. Final results were expected to take days, with weeks of coalition talks anticipated.

Separately, Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro fled Brazil following his Sunday election loss to President Lula and headed to the United States. Brazilian police had asked him to surrender his passports due to his links to a Supreme Court investigation into alleged financial crimes, and Brazil subsequently canceled his passports. The Trump administration signaled support for his departure and the US State Department confirmed it would issue visas to Flávio Bolsonaro and his family. His own campaign chief Rogério Marinho said Bolsonaro had not informed him of his departure plans and that the party had no information on his whereabouts.

© AI-generated summary is provided by Market Flux

Sources

  1. Osint613Voter turnout in Israel reached 74.3% of eligible voters as of 8 PM, with 2 hours remaining until polls close. Record breaking.
  2. Ny TimesIsrael’s Election: 4 Things to Watch For
  3. SpectatorindexBREAKING: Israeli election turnout is at 74.3% so far, the highest in 38 years.
  4. Unusual_WhalesBREAKING: Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro Brasil was told that the Donald Trump administration endorsed his decision to flee Brazil and signaled that the U.S. government would grant political asylum to him and his family, per CNN
  5. HormuzLetterBREAKING: Netanyahu's request to extend voting hours is officially rejected by Israel's election commission. Polls will close as scheduled. "It was ruled that, as things stand, there is no justification for extending the voting hours. The high national turnout figures in all populations testify to the public's high involvement in the democratic process."
  6. StaunovoWashington discusses Russian deals for US oil majors in Ukraine peace talks White House proposes renewed postwar business ties in an effort to bring President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table #oott
  7. France24_en🇮🇱 🗳️ Voters in #Israel on Tuesday cast their ballots to choose their favoured political party, rather than a candidate to represent their constituency, with seats in the Israeli Knesset being allocated in proportion to the number of votes won by a party (over a minimum threshold of 3.25%). FRANCE 24 takes a closer look ⤵️
  8. WsjBrazil Cancels Bolsonaro’s Passports as Questions Swirl About His Location
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  1. Financialjuice🔴 Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu Likud leads in Israel vote: N12 Exit Poll
  2. FirstSquawkNETANYAHU’S LIKUD PARTY IS SET TO BE THE LARGEST IN THE KNESSET, THOUGH THERE IS NO CLEAR WINNER IN THE ISRAELI ELECTION - CHANNEL 11 EXIT POLL
  3. LiveSquawkEXIT POLL: Netanyahu's Likud Party To Be Largest In Knesset - Channel 12 - Likud Party To Win 24 Of 120 Seats In Knesset - Party Led By Netanyahu Rival Eisenkot To Win 22 Of 120 Seats In Knesset - No Clear Winner In Election
  4. Bacharelhalabi#Israeli election exit polls.
  5. Michaelh992Channel 12 says Netanyahu will get 24 seats at the Knesset, Eisenkot 22. Most TV stations predict 52-53 seats for the opposition, 50 for Netanyahu - 17-18 for Arab parties. Likely deadlock at this stage
  6. ThehillIsrael wraps up voting in do-or-die election for Netanyahu: What to watch
  7. KalshiPoliticsBREAKING: No one is favored to be the Israeli Prime Minister after the 2026 election (as of 4:08 PM ET)
  8. AJENewsBREAKING: No clear winner in Israel's election - first exit polls 🔴 LIVE updates:
  9. CnnbrkThere is no clear winner in Israel's elections as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival appear short of outright victory, exit polls suggest
  10. ReutersNetanyahu supporters react to initial Israeli election results
  11. DisclosetvJUST IN - Netanyahu's Likud leads in Israel's election: exit poll
  12. APThere is no clear winner in Israeli election, which likely means weeks of jockeying before a leader is declared, exit polls indicate.
  13. CNBCNo clear winner in Israeli election, exit polls suggest, as Netanyahu’s fate hangs in the balance
  14. BullTheoryioBREAKING: 🇮🇱 Israel’s elections are heading toward no clear winner, with exit polls showing both Prime Minister Netanyahu and his rival Gadi Eisenkot falling short of a majority. More than 74% of Israelis had voted by 8 PM, the highest turnout at that hour since 1988.
  15. BusinessIsraeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's bloc took the lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the country’s first election since the October 2023 attacks, according to most exit polls. Read more here: 📷: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg
  16. ZerohedgeAnti-Netanyahu Bloc Leads Israel's Election, But Bibi's Likud Is Biggest Party, With No Clear Victor Emerging
  17. ChoukeirJIsrael's election has ended in an apparent deadlock, exit polls by major television networks showed. The polls indicated that neither Netanyahu nor his main rival Eisenkot were on track for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Unless one of them can assemble a majority, Israel faces prolonged coalition talks or another election.