Yisrael Beytenu Fails to Clear Electoral Threshold in Exit Poll Update
Yisrael Beytenu failed to cross the electoral threshold in an updated exit poll, threatening to push veteran politician Avigdor Lieberman out of parliament amid a bitter public feud with broadcasters.
A dramatic turn of events unfolded during election night projections as Yisrael Beytenu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, failed to cross the electoral threshold in an updated exit poll. If confirmed by official results, the exit of the veteran politician would deliver a severe blow to his party and reshape the broader political bloc.
The updated polling figures arrived just hours after a bitter public spat between Yisrael Beytenu and the broadcaster. Appearing on the election broadcast, former Labor Party legal advisor Daniel Cohen offered a blunt prediction, stating that Lieberman would fail to enter the incoming parliament.
In a furious response issued earlier in the day, Yisrael Beytenu slammed the network, releasing a statement that dismissed the claims as malicious propaganda and accusing the broadcaster of running a smear campaign driven by fear.
Hours later, the projection materialized in the network's updated exit poll, leaving Lieberman's faction outside the parliamentary threshold. The revised figures grant 31 seats to Likud, 20 to Yesh Atid, 11 to BeYachad, and 11 to the Joint List. Shas secures 10 mandates, The Democrats receive 9, while Religious Zionism, United Torah Judaism, Raam, and Otzma Yehudit secure 7 mandates each.
The updated figures also bolster the right-wing bloc to 62 seats, up from 61 in the initial projection. Observers emphasize that these numbers reflect exit polls rather than final ballot counts, and other television networks continue to show wider margins for Lieberman's party.
