Netanyahu's bloc leading Israel election but short of majority, partial results show
Summary
Partial results from Israel’s general election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc leading, but without enough seats for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot and Netanyahu both say they will try to form a government, while Arab-led parties could hold the balance of power amid uncertainty over uncounted ballots.Key Facts
- With 85% of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s Likud and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies were projected to win 53 seats.
- Eisenkot’s Yashar party and three other Jewish opposition parties were projected to win 48 seats.
- Arab-led parties were on course to win 19 seats, which would give them a potentially decisive role in coalition talks.
- Between 430,000 and 480,000 absentee ballots from soldiers and diplomats remained uncounted.
- President Isaac Herzog said he would consult political factions after receiving official results, expected the following week.
- The election turnout was 77.7%, the highest in Israel in more than two decades.
- Most Jewish parties had pledged not to form a government with Arab-led parties.
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