The coalition led by Netanyahu is expected to win 53 seats, the coalition led by Eisenkot 48, and the Arab parties 19; 61 seats are required for a majority.
Herzog is calling for an “open mind” during negotiations to form a coalition government. Up to 480,000 ballots cast by military personnel, police officers, and diplomats have yet to be counted.
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The leader of the “Joint List” says he is “ready to pave the way” for the government’s ouster. According to reports in The Times of Israel, the opposition is seeking to replace Ohana (of the Likud party) as Speaker of the Knesset, with the support of the Arab parties.
The party of outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Arab parties—which are on track to secure a record number of seats in parliament—of “stole the election.”
The elections “were stolen by Arab parties that support terrorism and the destruction of the Jewish state,” Likud stated, asserting that it has evidence of incidents of “corruption, threats, violence, fraud, and the use of prohibited software to encourage voters to cast their ballots.”
Earlier, the Central Election Commission announced that approximately 93% of valid ballots had been counted, representing 85.6% of the total. This secures 53 seats for the coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 48 seats for the coalition led by the head of the “Yasar” party, Gadi Eizenkot. Arab parties have secured 19 seats, a historic high. A majority requires at least 61 seats.
Although the results are not final, no changes to the figures are expected. In a statement, the Central Election Commission noted that the remaining 7% of valid ballots will require further verification. These votes are expected to be added to the total within the next few days. Among the parties currently below the 3.25% electoral threshold are the “Reservists” (2.6%), “The People of Israel” (1.6%), and “Haredi Koinon” (0.2%).
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Source: Times of Israel
