Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to be re-elected after Monday’s elections, according to the poll at the polls, which puts Likud (right) at the head of Benny Gantz’s centrist Blue and White coalition.
Polls from three television stations after the polls closed give Likud between 36 and 37 seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, against 32 or 33 for Blue and White.
Already assuming victory, Netanyahu thanked the Israelis with a short post on Twitter: “Thank you.”
Hours later, he returned to Twitter to claim what he believes to be “a great victory for Israel”.
The estimates give Likud and his right-wing allies, including ultra-conservative parties, 60 seats in parliament, to one of the majority. Blue and White, along with their center-left allies, as well as the Joint Arab List, are expected to win between 52 to 54 seats. The nationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu is expected to have six to eight seats and so it can tip the balance in favor of the right, as its leader, Avigdor Lieberman, was defense minister in a previous Netanyahu government.
In a statement quoted by AFP, Likud said Netanyahu had spoken to all the leaders of the right-wing parties, who agreed “to form a strong nationalist government as soon as possible”.
Israel is experiencing its longest political crisis, the April and September ballots left Prime Minister Likud (right) in office Benjamin Netanyahu and the centrist Blue and White coalition of Benny Gantz too close and unable to form a governmental coalition.
Since the last legislatures, Netanyahu has become the first head of government in office to be charged and his trial for bribery, fraud and abuse of confidence in three corruption cases begins on March 17, but the latest polls predicted thus a new close fight with Gantz.
Israel has so far registered 10 cases of Covid-19 disease and specific polling stations have been set up for about 5,600 Israelis who have been in contact with infected people or have traveled to countries affected by the epidemic.
The voting process was slow in these places due to the security process and the time was extended by two hours until 19:00 local time (17:00 in Lisbon).
– .
