Israeli opposition wins 52 to 53 seats, short of a majority
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on L’essentiel
The first projections from Israel's legislative elections put Gadi Eisenkot's opposition bloc in the lead with 52 to 53 seats, against 50 for Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, out of the Knesset's 120 seats. These exit poll estimates, reported by Israeli channels 11, 12 and 13, give neither bloc a majority and indicate gains for Arab parties.
The opposition bloc to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won between 52 and 53 seats in the legislative elections on Tuesday 27 October, falling short of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the Knesset, according to the first exit poll projections broadcast by Israeli channels 11, 12 and 13. Netanyahu's outgoing coalition is expected to win 50 of the parliament's 120 seats.
The “change bloc”, led by centrist Gadi Eisenkot, is therefore in the lead but does not have enough votes to form a government on its own. Arab parties have also made significant gains, which could give them a record number of seats, according to the same projections.
The vote comes after several days of campaigning and warnings about how it would unfold. On 27 October, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of preparing to challenge the results, while turnout had reached 16.7% in the first three hours of voting.
