The party of the former prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and its religious and far-right allies prevailed in Tuesday’s legislative elections and are close to winning a majority to form a government, according to exit polls.
Netanyahu and his allies could have won enough seats to return to power with a nationalist and religious government after three and a half years of political stalemate.
According to polls by the three main Israeli television networks, Netanyahu’s Likud won between 30 and 31 seats, out of the 120 that the Knesset (parliament) has.
With the contribution of his allies – the far-right party of religious Zionism and two ultra-Orthodox Jewish formations – it could get an absolute majority 61 or 62 seats.
However, the polls are preliminary and the final results could change as votes will be counted in the next few hours.
The Yesh Atid party, led by outgoing head of government Yair Lapid, won 22 to 24 seats, according to these polls.
But the advantage of the Netanyahu alliance over the blockade of parties that support Lapid is very small.
This is the fifth vote in less than four years in Israel, all of which largely centered on Netanyahu’s suitability to rule.
The ultra-Orthodox right will be fundamental
Exit polls also showed that the Religious Zionist Party is the third largest, running like key player to give the government key to former Prime Minister Netanyahu.
The force – which has Jewish supremacist Itamar Ben Gvir as its number two – would get about 14 seats, a very high figure compared to the 6 seats obtained in the last elections of March 2021, according to polls released after the close of the elections, polling stations at 10 pm local time.
Religious Zionism, along with the two ultra-Orthodox parties, is a partner in the block led by Netanyahu’s Likud party.
The amalgamation of formations led by the current Prime Minister Yair Lapid, from the center, would only get 54-55 seats, and even with the unlikely support of the 4 seats of the Arab Hadash-Taal coalition, it would not reach the 61 deputies necessary to achieve the creation executive.
In this scenario, Religious Zionism is presented as the great revelation of the elections, with the power to demand heavy ministries in negotiations to form a government with Netanyahu.
The coalition, made up of three ultra-parties, has openly racist and anti-Arab positions and homophobic in nature, it is inspired by biblical texts to justify a total colonization of the occupied territories and calls for a much more vigorous repression against the Palestinians.
Ben Gvir, a rising popularity leader who first entered the Israeli parliament last year, has been convicted in the past for inciting racism, has called for the expulsion of Arabs who are “disloyal” to Israel. and is known for his acts with a provocative and aggressive tone that makes headlines in the media.
With information from agencies
Source: Clarin
