Israeli exit polls show Netanyahu falling short

September 18, 2019 09:38

Has the Benjamin Netanyahu era ended in Israel?

If the exit polls results are to be believed, the country's longest serving Prime Minister will fall short of securing a parliamentary majority and is set to suffer a setback in his quest for a record fifth term in office.

If the exit polls do not go horribly wrong, then there are no clear winners as well.

The right-wing bloc led by Netanyahu is projected to win between 55-57 seats, but his main challenger Benny Gantz's Blue and White party also does not have the possibility of reaching the magical figure of 61 in a 120-member Knesset (Israeli Parliament), making the possibility of a unity government the most likely one.

The Central Elections Commission said that 69.4 per cent of the eligible voters cast ballots in Israel's unprecedented repeat elections on Tuesday, a slightly larger number than those that took part in April's vote.

Avigdor Lieberman, who has earlier served as Foreign and Defence Minister in Netanyahu led government's, has emerged the kingmaker as per the exit polls.

His Yisrael Beteinu party is expected to get between 8 and 10 seats and the ultra-nationalist leader has made it clear that he will back a unity government with or without his party's inclusion.

In an address to his party workers after the polls closed at 10 PM (local time) on Wednesday, Lieberman said that his party would stick to its stand and only support a unity government given that the country faces "an emergency situation both politically and economically".

Yisrael Beteinu had recommended Netanyahu's name to the President for Prime Minister after the April 9 polls, but refused to join a coalition government under him on the question of draft exemption for ultra-orthodox Jews.

The Israeli Prime Minister could not muster a coalition of 61 members without Yisrael Beteinu, leading to an unprecedented repeat polls on Tuesday.

Ultra-orthodox Jews backed parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, were Netanyahu's important coalition partners.

Gantz has also been careful in his post-election address, shying away from declaring victory and has called for unity and national healing.

Netanyahu took to the ruling Likud party stage late on Wednesday, vowing to create a "strong Zionist government" and thwart the formation of a "dangerous anti-Zionist" government.

"We will protect this country," he asserted.

He started by saying, "As you see, I am hoarse", drawing cheers from the crowd, "and as you know, it's better to lose your voice than to lose the country".

"I said the election was hard. That's not the word ....We faced a campaign that was so tilted against us by the biased media, so against us," he said.

"We're still waiting for the results. But one thing is clear, the State of Israel is at a historic turning point. We are facing immense opportunities, and immense challenges... including the existential threat from Iran," Netanyahu emphasised. -- PTI

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