Elections in Israel: Netanyahu's block ahead, but failed to win a majority
In the parliamentary elections held in Israel, the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading. After 93 percent of the ballots were counted, the parties supporting Netanyahu are securing 53 seats, while the opposition is getting 48 seats. To form a majority in parliament, 61 seats are required.
Elections in Israel: Netanyahu's block leads, but falls short of a majority
In the elections to the Israeli parliament, the block supporting the country's incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading, The Times of Israel reports, citing the Central Election Commission.
With 93 percent of the ballots counted, Netanyahu's coalition is winning 53 of the 120 seats in the Knesset. Of those, 26 mandates belong to the Prime Minister's own Likud party.
The opposition block led by Gadi Eizenkot, former Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, is claiming 48 seats.
Meanwhile, two political forces consisting of Arab parties recorded the best result in their history, winning 19 mandates. To form a government and become the leading coalition, a political block must have at least 61 seats.
The remaining votes will be counted in the coming days. The official election results are expected to be announced on November 4. Both Netanyahu and Eizenkot addressed their supporters, stating that they themselves would form the government.
"The right-wing block has a clear, decisive advantage among the Zionist public and all forces supporting the state. We must build a strong national right-wing government. It is absolutely unacceptable to jeopardize Israel and form a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties," Netanyahu said.
Eizenkot, on his part, emphasized that the Israeli people voted to replace the current leadership.
"Society chose change. The 'coalition of failures' failed to justify the people's trust. Israelis voted against Benjamin Netanyahu remaining as prime minister. I will work together with my partners to ensure that the will of the people translates into a stable and prosperous Zionist government that serves the interests of all citizens," he said.
If no single party receives the required number of seats, the coalition-building phase begins in the country. Once all votes are counted, the country's president holds negotiations with party leaders and tasks the candidate who can secure the support of the majority of deputies with forming a new government.
28 days are given to form a coalition, and if necessary, this period can be extended by another 14 days.
If the designated candidate fails to form a government within the specified time, the president may assign this task to someone else. If the second attempt also fails to yield results, Knesset deputies have the right to ask the president to name a third candidate.
If no agreement is reached after that either, new parliamentary elections will be scheduled in the country.