Exit poll Israel: No clear winner as Netanyahu’s fate hangs in the balance
Exit polls indicate there is no clear winner in today’s Israeli election, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fate uncertain and signalling continued political deadlock.
The polls on Israel’s three main TV stations showed Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist allies, as well as diverse array of opponents, both falling short of a parliamentary majority.
That could set the stage for weeks of paralysis and even an unprecedented fifth consecutive election.
If the final results are in line with the exit polls, both sides will have to court Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally with strained relations with the prime minister, to form a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Israeli’s parliament.
Bennett shares Netanyahu’s hard-line nationalist ideology but has signalled he would be open to cooperating with his rivals if given the chance to be prime minister.