Netanyahu's rival Eisenkot says ready to form government as exit polls show Israeli election deadlock

JERUSALEM -- Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday night that exit polls showing his bloc ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition reflected a "complete lack of confidence" in Netanyahu's government, vowing to move swiftly to replace it, as the projections pointed to a parliamentary election deadlock.

Exit polls by public broadcaster Kan and commercial TV Channel 13 projected 53 seats for Eisenkot's bloc against 50 for Netanyahu's, while Channel 12 gave Eisenkot's bloc 52 seats and Netanyahu's 50. Neither bloc reached the 61 seats needed for a majority.

"If these are the final results, this is a victory for Israel's mainstream Zionist majority," Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, said in a statement.

He pledged to 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 public has fired Netanyahu's government," said Yair Golan, leader of the center-left Democrats party, which supports the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Yair Lapid, the current opposition head, said in a statement that the Netanyahu bloc has suffered "a crushing defeat" and "a total collapse."

Arab-majority parties, the Joint List and the Muslim Ra'am party, were projected to win 17 to 18 seats in the 120-member Knesset or parliament, potentially holding the balance of power. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have ruled out forming a coalition with them.

With no outright majority, the results point to potentially prolonged coalition negotiations and political instability.

The exit polls are preliminary, with final official results expected in the coming days or even weeks.