Updated exit polls from two of Israel’s major television networks show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc with 59 or 60 seats, just a few of the 61 needed by the majority.
Game status: Initial projections launched at the close of the polls on Tuesday showed the Netanyahu bloc with 61 seats, which would be enough to form a majority government. The latest results, updated based on early results, show a deeply uncertain outcome.
The whole picture: Three inconclusive elections have left Israel in a protracted political crisis. If the Netanyahu bloc wins a majority in Israel’s fourth election in two years, it could form the most religious and conservative coalition in the country’s history and take steps to reduce its corruption process.
- If the big bloc of anti-Netanyahu parties – ranging from the left to the conservative – reaches a majority, there could be an effort to bring together a government that excludes Netanyahu. It would be very difficult.
- But those parties could pass a law targeting Netanyahu to ban anyone on criminal charges from serving as prime minister.
Between the lines: Even if the right-wing bloc reaches 61, forming a government could be difficult.
- The 61-seat projection for the Netanyahu bloc includes a Conservative party led by former technology entrepreneur Naftali Bennet, which has tried to position itself as a non-aligned kingdom, but more recently seems to have moved into Netanyahu’s column.
Not worth anything: Tuesday’s election saw the lowest turnout since 2009 and was particularly low among Israel’s Arab minority. Parts of the common Arab list could see their representation fall by 40% -50%.
- The list of the “right of religious Zionism” of the radical right, which includes members of a Jewish supremacist party, is expected to win 6-7 seats.
What to look for: Screenings will continue to be updated throughout the night.