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Exit polls: Netanyahu has solid edge
Israeli prime minister is ahead of rival in election, but it’s unclear if he could clinch majority needed for victory.
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JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a solid edge over his main rival in Israel’s third election in under a year, exit polls indicated Monday night, but it was unclear whether he could clinch the parliamentary majority needed to claim victory.
Exit polls on Israel’s main TV channels showed Netanyahu and his nationalist and religious allies winning 60 seats, one short of a parliamentary majority. The center-left bloc, led by former military chief Benny Gantz, was projected to win 52-54 seats.
If the official results from Monday’s election match the exit polls, Netanyahu would receive a major boost ahead of his trial on corruption charges, set to begin March 17.
Netanyahu, the longestserving leader in Israeli history, has been a caretaker prime minister for more than a year as a divided country has weathered two inconclusive votes and prolonged political paralysis. With preelection opinion polls forecasting another deadlock, Netanyahu had sought a late surge in support to score a parliamentary majority along with other nationalist parties for a fourth consecutive term in office and fifth overall.
He appeared to get it in the form of a surprisingly high turnout despite the weariness accompanying the second repeat election.
Netanyahu tweeted a heart emoji with the word “thanks” as well as photo of himself surrounded by his family, aides and supporters proclaiming “a giant victory for Israel.”
Miri Regev, a senior Likud member, proclaimed an “overwhelming victory” for Netanyahu’s party.
“The nation had its say, a referendum that proved the trust of the people in Netanyahu and in the Likud, with all the indictments and all the attempts to depose Netanyahu,” Regev said.
Netanyahu’s Likud party was projected to win 36-37 seats, a gain from September, when it won 32. Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party, which ran on a message that the prime minister is unfit to lead because of the serious charges against him, was projected to win 32-33 seats, roughly the same number as in September.
Gantz did not concede defeat and said he would “continue fighting” on behalf of his supporters.
Despite Netanyahu’s impressive showing, neither party appeared able to form a coalition with its traditional allies. With the prospect of a unity government between them seemingly off the table after a particularly nasty campaign, the vote may well turn into merely a preamble to another election if Netanyahu’s Likud can’t garner an additional seat.
“This is clearly an achievement from Netanyahu’s standpoint, but by no means is it a clear, decisive outcome that enables him to form a stable, functioning government,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the nonpartisan
Israel Democracy Institute. “The country is heading toward constitutional uncertainty.”
There was little fanfare ahead of the vote, with a noticeable absence of campaign posters on the streets and public rallies that typically characterize the runup to Israeli elections.
Israel set up some 15 stations to allow voting by hundreds of people who have been ordered to remain in home quarantine after possible exposure to the coronavirus.
“The corona thing is completely under control. Today we’ve taken all the precautions that are necessary. People can go and vote with complete confidence,” Netanyahu said after casting his ballot in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu sought to portray himself as a statesman who is uniquely qualified to lead the country through challenging times. Gantz has tried to paint him as divisive and scandal-plagued, offering himself as a calming influence and an honest alternative.
President Donald Trump’s Mideast initiative, which strongly favors Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians, had been expected to give Netanyahu a major boost. But both Netanyahu and Gantz welcomed the initiative, and it appears to have had little effect on voters.