Netanyahu claims victory, though polls show him short of majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party was set to win the most seats in Israel’s general election, according to exit polls early on Tuesday, but his right-wing and religious bloc is predicted to fall short of the 61 seats necessary to have a parliamentary majority.

The right-wing bloc including Likud, the far-right Yamina and the ultra-Orthodox parties are projected to receive 59 mandates, according to updated results from three separate exit polls published on Israel’s main television channels in the early hours of Tuesday.

The exit polls had earlier predicted the bloc would take 60 seats, out of the 120 total seats in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset.

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The centre-left bloc including the centrist Blue and White party of Netanyahu’s main rival, Benny Gantz, as well as Labour-Meretz-Gesher and the Arab Joint List parties would receive 52-54 mandates, polls said.

Likud was set to take 36-37 seats, while Blue and White would take 32-34 mandates, making it the second strongest party.

The Arab Joint List was projected to receive 14-15 mandates, according to the results, though they are not seen a potential coalition partner.

Israeli-Arab lawmaker Ahmad Tibi spoke of “a defeat” for Blue and White, according to a TV report.

Netanyahu’s allies said he would approach his “natural partners” and build a coalition with right-wing and religious parties.

He would try to persuade one lawmaker from the centre-left to defect to his camp, they added.

As in previous rounds, Avigdor Liberman and his ultra-nationalist, but secular, Yisrael Beiteinu party could likely play the kingmaker, with his party projected to secure 6-7 seats, according to the exit polls.

Liberman said that his party was waiting for final results but promised that it would not budget “one millimetre” from its stance.

Liberman has refused to sit with two ultra-Orthodox parties.

Netanyahu’s lead marks a change from the previous vote, when Gantz’s left-wing bloc and Netanyahu’s bloc were neck and neck with a two-seat difference between them, at 57 and 55, respectively.

Netanyahu called the poll results an “enormous victory” during a rally in Tel Aviv early on Tuesday. Supporters chanted and many of them waved flags as Netanyahu called it “a victory against all odds.”

Gantz expressed disappointment with how the election had turned out. “If these are the results, then they will not bring Israel back on the right path,” he told supporters in Tel Aviv.

Gantz accused political opponents of spreading targeted lies about him and spoke of the dirtiest election campaign in Israel’s history.

The first real results are expected by Tuesday, but the official results are due within eight days.

Based on the exit polls, Netanyahu appeared to have greatly boosted his chances to win a record fifth term in office, despite the corruption charges against him. Two weeks after elections, he is set to appear in front of a Jerusalem court on charges of corruption.

Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust for allegedly offering political favours in return for positive press coverage and helping out wealthy business contacts in return for expensive gifts. He has called the indictment an attempted “coup.”

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will likely grant the task of forming the next government to Netanyahu, because traditionally the president gives the mandate to the largest party – unless the Supreme Court rules that an indicted party leader is unfit to form a government.

Whoever receives the mandate has six weeks to form a coalition.

Neither Gantz nor Netanyahu could form a coalition after elections in April and September. Gantz refuses to sit with Netanyahu due to the corruption charges, and the latter’s refusal to give up the prime minister’s seat prevented the formation of a unity government.

Netanyahu has also been under pressure from his right-wing and religious base as settlement leaders pressed for him to annex the West Bank settlements and Jordan Valley as soon as possible after the Trump administration unveiled its Middle East plan in late January.

Roughly 30 party lists ran in the election for 120 seats in the 23rd Knesset, with about 6.5 million people eligible to vote.

Israelis went out in large numbers to vote on Monday in an unprecedented third election in just one year, with concerns of voter fatigue appeared to have been proven wrong.

And despite fears that activists would try to influence election results by spreading “fake news” about suspected coronavirus cases at voting stations, the turnout rate was higher than the last two polls.

Voter turnout was at 71 per cent, compared to 69.83 per cent in September and 68.46 per cent in April, the Central Elections Committee said. It marked the highest turnout since 2015.

Special voting tents had been set up for Israelis who are currently in self-isolation after returning from countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 5,500 Israelis are in quarantine at their homes at the orders of the Health Ministry. They were able to cast their vote at 16 designated stations, with two additional ones opened in the afternoon. So far 12 Israelis have tested positive for the virus. (dpa)