It took Benjamin Netanyahu 58 days to form his government after the previous election in November 2022. (EPA Images pic)JERUSALEM: Israelis voted on Tuesday in their highest turnout for decades, with exit polls showing the camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that of his rival are neck and neck.
Exit polls from the three mainstream Israeli television networks gave the two blocs around 51 seats each in the 120-member Knesset -- well below the 61 needed to govern -- after initially giving an edge to the opposition led by ex-army chief Gadi Eisenkot.
Israeli Arab lists made strong gains, with exit polls showing them winning 17 or 18 seats between them.
The parties will immediately begin negotiations to try to reach a 61-seat majority, but the path forward is far from clear.
