Israel election too close to call as exit polls give Netanyahu bloc slightly fewer seats

Early indications suggest it will be some time before the shape of new government and who will lead it is clear

Israel’s election appeared to have delivered no clear winner on Tuesday night after a historic turnout by voters for an election described by some as the most consequential in the country’s history, and marked by a record participation by Israeli Arab voters.

Exit polls published on Tuesday evening suggested that the opposition bloc of parties led by the former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Gadi Eisenkot, would win most seats in the Knesset by a slight margin, edging out Benjamin Netanyahu’s right and far-right coalition despite the prime minister’s Likud emerging as the largest party.

The result is likely to set off weeks of jockeying over who can form a coalition government before a prime minister is declared or another round of elections is called, but represents a sharp electoral rebuke to Netanyahu.

After a day in which Israelis streamed to polling stations across the country, exit polls suggested Netanyahu’s ability to command the loyalty of a large core of Likud party voters remained undimmed despite his rejection by large numbers of Israelis.

The predicted haul of up to 18 Knesset seats for Israeli Arab parties is likely to make them the kingmakers in what seem certain to be protracted talks to form a new government, with Netanyahu likely to fall short of the support required to form a new coalition.

While Eisenkot could theoretically assemble a majority by forming a government with the Arab parties, he ruled that out before the election.