Israel counts over 97% of votes, but no bloc secures a majority
Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Getty Images)
Israel has counted 97.3% of the votes in its parliamentary election. The bloc supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads, but neither bloc has secured enough seats to form a government, according to The Times of Israel.
With 97.3% of ballots counted, the seats in the Knesset are distributed among the political parties as follows:
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Likud: 27 seats (+1)
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Yashar: 21 seats
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B'Yachad: 12 seats
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Joint List: 11 seats
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The Democrats: 8 seats
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Ra'am: 8 seats
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Yisrael Beytenu: 7 seats
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Otzma Yehudit: 7 seats
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United Torah Judaism: 7 seats
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Shas: 6 seats (-1)
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Religious Zionism: 6 seats.
Bloc-wise distribution
Neither bloc has won a majority in the election, as at least 61 seats are needed to form one. The current breakdown between the governing coalition and opposition camps is as follows:
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The current coalition, led by Likud: 53 seats
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The Change Bloc (opposition): 48 seats
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Joint List: 11 seats
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Ra'am: 8 seats.
The final results may change slightly after the remaining ballots are counted, including votes cast by military personnel and diplomats.
As previously reported, Israel held parliamentary elections on October 27. Initial exit polls gave the opposition a slight lead, but updated results showed Netanyahu's party bloc could draw level with its opponents or pull ahead by two seats.
Notably, voter turnout reached 77.7%, the highest level since 1999.
