Exit polls point to Netanyahu victory

JERUSALEM >> Exit polls in Israeli elections on Tuesday predicted former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies may have won enough seats to return to power in a nationalist and religious government after three and a half years of political gridlock.

The polls are preliminary, however, and final results could change as votes are tallied in the coming hours.

The polls by three major Israeli TV stations indicated that Netanyahu and his allies would capture the 61-seat majority in parliament required to form a new government.

The exit polls also showed far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir’s Religious Zionism as the third-largest party.