Jerusalem: Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to hold a narrow lead early on Wednesday in Israeli elections, according to exit polls, potentially paving the way for a return to power thanks to a boost from an extreme right-wing ally known for inflammatory anti-Arab comments.
The exit polls were preliminary, and the final results could change as votes are tallied. However, they pointed to a continued rightward shift in the electorate, further dimming hopes for peace with the Palestinians.
“We are on the brink of a very large victory,” a smiling Netanyahu told supporters at his Likud party headquarters on Wednesday, paving the way for his political comeback and a record sixth term in office.
Tuesday’s election was Israel’s fifth in less than four years, with all of them focused largely on Netanyahu’s fitness to govern. On trial for a slew of corruption charges which he denies, Netanyahu is seen by supporters as the victim of a witch hunt and vilified by opponents as a crook and threat to democracy.
The vote, like past elections, was tight. The exit polls on the country’s three major television stations all predicted Netanyahu and his hard-line allies would capture 61 or 62 seats in parliament, giving him the majority in the 120-seat house needed to govern.
But the polls showed a small Arab party, Balad, close to crossing the threshold required to enter parliament — a development that could erase his slim majority.
Read the article by Josef Federman in The Age.