Netanyahu’s Bloc Leading Israel Vote, Short of Majority
Partial results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc ahead of former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's in Israel's general election, but short of a…
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc is leading Israel's general election but is still short of a majority in parliament, according to partial results. His rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, trails by a narrow margin.
With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu's Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies were on track to win 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. Eisenkot's Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties in his bloc were set for 48. Both leaders have said they will try to form a governing coalition.
Neither side has a clear path to power.
Arab parties could hold the balance
Arab-led parties are on course to win an unprecedented 19 seats and could emerge as kingmakers. But all but one of the Jewish parties have pledged not to work with them.
The United Arab List and the Joint List appear to be heading for record representation because of a strong turnout among Arab Israelis. They account for about a fifth of the population and often describe themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The chairman of the Joint List, which has talked of providing an electoral "safety net" for the Jewish opposition, said on Wednesday that it was "ready and prepared to pave the way to oust the Netanyahu government".
Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, told partners in Eisenkot's bloc on Wednesday that there was an "opportunity to form a change government in partnership" with the Arab parties. "We have no future here if we don't stop being afraid. And if we don't put an end to racism," he wrote on X.
Exit polls swung through the night
Initial exit polls published by three Israeli broadcasters projected that Eisenkot's "Change Bloc" would emerge with between 52 and 53 seats, compared to 50 seats for Netanyahu's bloc. Eisenkot told supporters at Yashar's election headquarters in Tel Aviv that the public had "spoken in favour of change".
"The coalition of failure has lost the people's trust," he said. "I will work with my partners to ensure that the people's decision is translated into a Zionist government."
The broadcasters later updated their exit polls. Two projected the rival blocs tied on 51 seats, and one gave Netanyahu's bloc a narrow three-seat lead.
Netanyahu then appeared at Likud's headquarters in Jerusalem and declared that his right-wing bloc had won a "great majority". He ruled out relying on Arab parties. "We must put in place a strong right-wing national government," he said. "It is forbidden, simply forbidden, to endanger Israel by forming a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties."
What happens next
Between 430,000 and 480,000 absentee ballots from soldiers and diplomats have yet to be counted. Final results could take a day or two.
Once they are confirmed, President Isaac Herzog will hold consultations with all the political factions. He will then invite the leader he believes has the best chance of success to form a government, a process that could take weeks. If that fails, Israel would ultimately face another election.
Herzog, speaking at his residence in Jerusalem, praised the 77.7% turnout in Tuesday's election, the country's highest in more than two decades. "It is a badge of honour for Israeli society, and it was remarkable to see how deep the desire for democracy is in Israel," he said.
He said he expected to receive the official results next week, after which he would begin discussions with every faction. "We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections. So, I expect everyone who comes here to come with an open mind."
Source: bbc.co.uk
