World·Israel
Update: Netanyahu's bloc gains overnight to 54 seats with about 70% counted, still short of a majority; official results due Nov. 4
With about 70% of votes counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc stood at 54 of the Knesset's 120 seats, against 47 for the main opposition and 19 for Arab parties, Fox News reported from partial results; Likud led with 27 seats and Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar had 20. That is up from Tuesday night's exit polls, which had his bloc at 50, but still short of the 61 needed to govern, and the parties outside his bloc together hold 66. Official results are scheduled for Nov. 4, and Netanyahu stays prime minister until a new government takes office; President Trump said his endorsement "helped him a lot," Fox reported.
Sources
- Fox NewsNetanyahu defies exit polls as vote shifts in his favor, but majority remains elusive