Israel vote count almost over, deadlock confirmed

Jerusalem, Sept. 20: Israeli vote results on Friday confirmed a deadlock in the country’s general election and put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party as the second-largest, leaving him with a tough battle to extend his long tenure in office.

The near-complete official results from Tuesday’s election gave ex-military chief Benny Gantz's centrist Blue and White alliance the most seats, with 33 out of parliament’s 120. Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud won 31 seats, but neither had an obvious path to a majority coalition.

In a stark admission on Thursday, Netanyahu acknowledged he was unable to form a rightwing coalition as he hoped and called on Gantz to join him in a unity government instead.

Gantz responded by saying he would have to be prime minister in a unity government since Blue and White was the largest party. The standoff has even raised the possibility of yet another election — which would be the third to be held in a year following April polls that also ended inconclusively.

Israeli President Reuven

Rivlin plans to begin consultations with all parties voted into parliament on Sunday to decide who to choose to try to form a government. Major developments were not expected before then, particularly with the Sabbath, a day of rest, beginning at sundown Friday.

Final results will be published

on Wednesday and there could be changes before then, Israel’s election committee said.

The committee said the results did not include 14 polling stations where verifications were still ongoing. Israeli media said more than 99 per cent of the votes were counted.