Exit polls show Liberman's party gaining one or two Knesset seats

Exit polls released on Tuesday evening, October 27, project that Yisrael Beytenu will secure between 7 and 8 seats in the incoming Knesset. The party is currently holding 6 seats in the existing 25th Knesset. Channel 12 and KAN both placed the party at 8 seats, while Channel 13 estimated 7.

Avigdor Liberman, the party leader, campaigned against the ruling coalition throughout the day. He urged citizens to vote to remove what he called the "October massacre government." This refers to the administration in power on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas attack. On X/Twitter, Liberman wrote, "Put a note in the box today, and you'll get public transportation on Shabbat starting tomorrow." He added, "Oust the government of the October 7 massacre and the draft dodgers!"

Voting concluded at 10:00 p.m. after a period of high morning turnout and afternoon rain. The Central Election Committee rejected a Likud request to extend voting hours. Channels 11, 12, and 13 published their preliminary projections on Tuesday night. The party has generally polled in the range of 7 to 10 seats since August 2026.

Yisrael Beytenu was founded in 1999 by Liberman, a former Likud activist and Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office in the 1990s. The party rose to 15 seats in 2009. Liberman served as Minister of Defense from 2016 to 2018 before resigning over concerns regarding the handling of Hamas. In recent weeks, he suggested handing over Palestinian areas to Jordan and criticized Benjamin Netanyahu for fearmongering about Iran.

The party has expanded its support base beyond its original core of immigrants from former Soviet Union countries. On October 20, Tzachi Hanegbi, a former National Security Council head and Likud politician, announced he would vote for Liberman. Despite this, Liberman has rejected relying on Arab party support to form a coalition. He has also warned that the United States may recognize a Palestinian state in the coming years.

Afternoon reports indicated that high turnout among Arab voters could boost the seat share for Ra’am and the Joint List. This scenario threatened to push Yisrael Beytenu below the 3.25 percent threshold required for Knesset entry. The official vote count will determine the final seat distribution and shape upcoming coalition negotiations.