No clear winner in Israel election with nearly 90 percent of votes counted
Also reported by CBS News
Summary
With nearly 90 percent of votes counted, neither major bloc has the 61 seats needed to form a government in Israel. Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot 48, while Arab parties may together hold 19 seats; final results could change as special ballots are counted.Key Facts
- The Central Elections Committee said it had counted more than five million votes by 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
- More than 500,000 special double-envelope ballots remain to be counted, including votes from soldiers, diplomats and people voting away from their registered polling stations.
- The 120-seat Knesset requires 61 seats for a majority.
- Final results could be released as early as Thursday evening.
- Netanyahu will remain caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed.
- President Isaac Herzog plans to consult party leaders about forming a government after official results are released next week.
- Eisenkot ruled out forming a minority government with Arab-led parties, and Netanyahu also rejected that option.
- Likud accused Arab parties of election-related crimes, while the Joint List said Arab voter turnout helped keep Netanyahu’s coalition short of a majority.
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