Likud leads at 20.8% as Netanyahu, Eisenkot claim mandate

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party was leading in Israel's election on Wednesday, according to preliminary results, though both the prime minister and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot claimed a mandate.

Preliminary results from 55.4 percent of ballots counted showed Likud party leading with 20.8 percent of the vote. Yashar followed with 17.06 percent, while Naftali Bennett's Together Alliance secured 9.2 percent.

Exit polls, however, suggested neither bloc was on course to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset. With around 600,000 double-envelope ballots still uncounted, the outcome remained uncertain.

Speaking in Jerusalem, Netanyahu claimed he had won a "decisive majority" of support among Zionist voters. He dismissed the prospect of an Arab-backed coalition as a "disgrace" and said Israel had a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to work with US President Donald Trump to counter what he described as the threat from Iran.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar cited a 'clear Jewish majority', while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich promised Jewish settlements in Gaza.

After a turnout of nearly 80 percent, including more than 60,000 overseas voters, Eisenkot said Israelis had voted for change. He pledged to expand mandatory military service and warned against using security issues for political gain.

Other opposition figures also expressed confidence. Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid and Yashar leader Orit Farkash-Hacohen said Netanyahu's coalition had been defeated.

With Arab parties projected to win a record 18 to 19 seats, analysts said the election could still produce a political deadlock.

They noted that President Isaac Herzog may struggle to form a government unless Eisenkot's bloc receives outside support from the Joint List.

Several experts also pointed out that neither Netanyahu's camp nor Eisenkot's bloc supports the creation of a Palestinian state.

Source: Al Jazeera