JNS
If the tallies hold, the Likud Party leader is likely to be able to form a right-wing/religious coalition.
Preliminary exit polls showed Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing/religious bloc garnering a parliamentary majority in Tuesday’s national election.
According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s Likud Party was projected to win 30 seats, making it the largest faction in the next Knesset.
The other right-wing parties received the following number of votes: Religious Zionism 14; Shas 10; and United Torah Judaism 7.
With these numbers, the center-right would have 61 seats and be able to form a coalition in the 120-member Knesset.
The center-left received the following number of seats according to the exit poll: Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid 24; National Unity 11; Labor 6: Meretz 5; and Israel Beiteinu 4.
The Arab parties polled as follows: Ra’am 5 and Hadash-Ta’al 4.
According to Channel 13‘s exit poll, the Likud Party was projected to win 31 seats, with Religious Zionism at 14; Shas 10; and United Torah Judaism 7.
Together, the center-right would have 62 seats.
The center-left parties will receive the following number of seats according to the Channel 13 exit poll: Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid 24; National Unity 12; Labor 5: Meretz 4; and Israel Beiteinu 4.
Ra’am was predicted to win 5 seats and Hadash-Ta’al 4.
Meanwhile, a Kan exit poll also found Netanyahu’s bloc securing 62 mandates, with Likud projected to win 30 seats, Religious Zionism 15, Shas 10 and United Torah Judaism 7.
Lapid’s Yesh Atid was forecast to garner 22 seats, National Unity 13; Labor 5: Meretz 4; and Israel Beiteinu 4.
Ra’am was predicted to win 5 seats and Hadash-Ta’al 4.
By Nov. 8, President Isaac Herzog will need to designate a candidate to form a government, and based on these results it will likely be Netanyahu. The former prime minister would have four weeks to form a coalition.
World Likud head Danny Danon, a former ambassador to the United Nations and minister of science, technology and space, said in response to the imminent Likud Party victory: “The State of Israel is today finally returning to its common sense. After years of political instability, the citizens of Israel voted today in favor of a national government that will restore security and governance to the cities of Israel. In the coming days we will establish a stable and strong national government that will work for all the citizens of Israel.”
As of 8 p.m. on Tuesday, 4,498,410 Israelis, or 66.3 percent of eligible voters, had cast their ballots.
Some 6,788,804 people were eligible to vote at more than 12,000 stations set up across the country. Thirty-nine parties ran in the election.
Tuesday’s vote marked Israel’s fifth parliamentary election in under four years.
Caption: Exit polls on Nov. 1, 2022 show that opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu will likely again become prime minister of Israel.
Credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.
