Updated exit polls from two of Israel’s leading television networks show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc, with 59 or 60 seats, just under 61 needed for a majority.
The state of play: The first projections published when the polls closed on Tuesday showed Netanyahu’s bloc with 61 seats, which would be enough to form a majority government. The latest results, updated based on the first results, show a deeply uncertain result.
The big picture: Three inconclusive elections have left Israel in a protracted political crisis. If Netanyahu’s 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 potentially take steps to reduce its corruption trial.
- If the broad bloc of anti-Netanyahu parties (ranging from left to conservative) ends in a majority, there would be an effort to pair a government that excludes Netanyahu. It would be very difficult.
- But those parties could pass a law, aimed at Netanyahu, to ban anyone on a criminal charge from acting as prime minister.
Between lines: Even if the right-wing bloc reaches 61, forming a government could be tricky.
- The 61-seat projection for the Netanyahu bloc includes a Conservative party led by former technology businessman Naftali Bennet, who had been trying to position himself as a non-aligned king, but more recently appears to have moved to the Netanyahu column. .
It is necessary to emphasize: Tuesday’s election saw the lowest turnout since 2009 and was particularly low among the Israeli Arab majority. Parts of the joint Arab list could see their representation shrink by between 40% and 50%.
- The radical list of right-wing “religious Zionism,” which includes members of a Jewish supremacist party, is expected to get 6-7 seats.
What to see: Screenings will continue to be updated throughout the night.