Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on track to claim election victory
Both Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz claim victory, but it all depends on who can form a coalition government
Jerusalem — Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz claimed victory in Israel’s election but exit polls and early results indicated on Wednesday the veteran right-wing leader was on course for a record fifth term. Partial results with 80% of votes counted showed Netanyahu’s Likud party with 38 seats, eight more than in the previous election in 2015, and Gantz’s centrist Blue and White Party with 36, the Knesset website and Israeli TV channels said several hours after polls closed. Exit polls on two of Israel’s three main TV channels earlier showed Likud several seats ahead while a third survey put Blue and White one seat ahead of Likud. Though neither party captured a ruling majority in the 120-member Knesset, according to the polls, the surveys put Netanyahu in a strong position to form a coalition government with right-wing factions, key to an ultimate victory. “It is a night of colossal victory,” Netanyahu told cheering supporters in a late-nigh...
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