Netanyahu poised for return to power in Israel election: Exit polls

GBNEWS24DESK//

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared well placed to return to power as exit polls following Tuesday’s election showed his right-wing bloc heading for a narrow majority lifted by a strong showing from his far-right allies.

Israel’s longest-serving premier, on trial over corruption charges which he denies, was poised to take a narrow majority of 61 or 62 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, according to Israeli television exit polls.

“It’s a good start,” Netanyahu, 73, said in a video broadcast by Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11, but added that exit polls were not the real count.

A final result is not expected until later in the week, and wrangling broke out immediately with Netanyahu’s Likud party warning of possible attempts to falsify the results.

Israel’s fifth election in less than four years exasperated many voters, but turnout was reported at the highest levels since 2015.

The campaign was shaken up by firebrand West Bank settler Itamar Ben-Gvir and his ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism list, now poised to be the third-largest party in parliament after surging in from the political margins.

“The time has come that we go back to being in charge of our country!” Ben-Gvir said in a speech punctuated by chants of “Death to Terrorists” from hundreds of cheering supporters.

Netanyahu’s record 12-year consecutive reign ended in June 2021 when centrist Yair Lapid and his coalition partner Naftali Bennett managed to stitch together an alliance that included an Arab party for the first time.

Security on the streets and soaring prices topped the list of voter concerns in a campaign triggered by defections from Prime Minister Lapid’s unlikely ruling coalition of right-wing, liberal and Arab parties.