JERUSALEM, Israel – Early exit polls are officially out for Israel’s national election today and they’re showing no clear winner with enough seats in parliament to end the country’s years-long political stalemate.
Israel’s three main TV news stations show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and his challengers on the right and left each falling short of the seats needed to clinch a majority in the Knesset – Israel’s parliament.
In Israel, people do not vote for individuals, but for parties to fill Israel’s 120-seat parliament. Sixty-one is the magic number of seats each party is aiming for to seize control of the government. But since no party has ever won a 61-seat majority on its own, parties must partner together to form government coalitions.
WATCH LIVE CBN NEWS COVERAGE
Exit polls from Israeli media show Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist allies with 53-54 seats. Meanwhile, his opponents are expected to take 59 seats. Naftali Bennett’s right-wing Yamina party is projected to win 7-8 seats, potentially making him the kingmaker in this election. Both sides will look to Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally, to form a majority with 61 seats.
This election faced numerous challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic and low voter turnout. Israeli election officials recorded the lowest voter turnout rate since 2009, signaling that Israelis are suffering from voter fatigue.
This election, Netanyahu’s Likud party is facing challenges from the left and right, and it’s proving to be a referendum on the divisive leader.
This latest election was trigged by the failure of a power-sharing government between the rival Likud and the Blue and White parties. This government collapsed because the two parties could not agree on a budget by a December 23 deadline.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for CBN News daily newsletters and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
While exit polls are providing a general outline of Israel’s political landscape, this year’s increase in absentee ballots will likely delay the final results for days.
Once those results are finalized, Israel’s president will meet with party heads to choose which party he believes is most capable of forming a government. Usually, but not always, the president chooses the party with the most seats in the Knesset.
Once that party is chosen, it will have four weeks to form a government. If successful, that coalition will be given a four-year term.
However, infighting within those political factions often triggers early elections.
Only time will tell if Israel has finally broken through this political deadlock, or if a fifth election is on the horizon.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN