Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies may be able to elect the 61 delegates needed to have a majority in the Knesset and rule, Israeli exit polls show. Two of them even say they can get 62 delegates.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s Likud should have 30 delegates, while Channel 13 should have 31. On the other hand, Yesh Atid, from the current Prime Minister Yair Lapid, should have 24 representatives, according to both polls.
Channel 12’s poll is the least favorable, placing the victory of Netanyahu and his allies, including the far right and ultra-Orthodox, by the narrowest margin: 61 delegates out of 120 in the Knesset. Channel 13’s poll gives it 62, as does the Kan station.
A better than expected result for the right, but you have to wait for the final results which can take days. Everything can change if a small party exceeds the minimum number of votes to enter parliament (3.25% of the valid votes) and there are agreements where “excess” votes can be passed on to another party.
Israel is looking at the result of the Arab party Balad, which is close to the minimum percentage and could change everything for Netanyahu. Commenting on the exit polls, the former prime minister said it was a “good start”, noting that everything depends on the final count.
Lapid’s coalition, currently in power, manages to elect 55 deputies, according to the Channel 12 poll, and 54, according to the other two polls. It includes the National Unity Party, which brings together Benny Gantz of the Blue and White Alliance and Gideon Sa’ar of New Hope, who has between 11 and 13 seats, Labor (5 or 6), Yisrael Beiteinu (4), Meretz ( 5) and the Ra’am Arab Party (or United Arab List, 5).
The Religious Zionist Party, led by Bezalel Smotrich, competing as an ally of Itamar Ben-Gvir (far right) Otzma Yehudit, becomes the third political power, with the possibility of winning 14 or even 15 representatives. Netanyahu needs your support to eventually have a majority.
Netanyahu’s other allied parties are Shas (will elect 10 deputies) and United Torah Judaism (7 deputies).
The Hadash-Ta’al list of Arab parties, not affiliated with either party, manages to elect four representatives.
These are the fifth elections since 2019. The elections come after the collapse of a coalition last year that brought together eight very different parties, including an Arab for the first time, with the aim of overthrowing Netanyahu and ending his government as prime minister. The deputies’ disagreement led to the loss of the majority in the Knesset.
At 8 p.m. (6 p.m. in Lisbon), two hours before polling stations closed, turnout was 66.3%, the highest figure since 1999. At the same time, 60.9% had voted in the last election.
Source: DN
