No clear winner in Israel elections but Arab parties may play key role

Preliminary results show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leading the opposition, but neither side has the 61 seats needed to form a government. Meanwhile the Arab-led parties are projected to win a record 19 seats and could influence the formation of the next government.

New Delhi: Israel’s parliamentary election has produced no clear winner, with nearly 90 per cent of votes counted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc is projected to win 53 seats, while the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is expected to secure 48 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

The results leave both sides short of the 61 seats required to form a government. Arab-led parties, meanwhile, are projected to win a combined 19 seats, putting them in a potentially important position in the negotiations that follow the election.

The final outcome is still awaited, with hundreds of thousands of special ballots, including votes cast by soldiers and diplomats, yet to be counted. The remaining votes could change the seat distribution,........

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