Avigdor Lieberman

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Exit polls suggest no clear route to government, Benjamin Netanyahu or Benny Gantz

Unofficial results in Israel's second election in five months, it is to call close to, Israeli media say.

the Incumbent PM Benjamin Netanyahu 's party and his main Challenger, Benny Gantz , neck and neck with 32 seats each, the Kan public broadcaster says.

A Prime Minister must command a 61 seat majority in Parliament. The smaller Yisrael Beiteinu party appears to be The Balance of power.

Official results are expected on Wednesday.

Benjamin Netanyahu , Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister , in office since 10 years and is vying to win a record fifth term in office.

The 69-year-old leads the right-wing Likud party, is committed, the system of the Jewish settlements and a swathe of other territory in the occupied West Bank , if he returned to power.

Palestinians, who try to, a state in the West Bank and the Gaza strip with its capital in occupied East Jerusalem have warned that such a step will kill all hopes for peace.

Mr Gantz, who leads the medium-sized blue and White Party is not in favour of any form of annexation, though his position on The Creation of a Palestinian state, is unclear.

Mr Netanyahu, he has excluded, ever divide Jerusalem, which Israel considers its capital.

On Wednesday morning, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman reiterated that he is only with the support of a government consisting of the Likud, and Blue and White.

it has, However, decided to White and Blue, sitting with Netanyahu in a coalition.

What are the latest results?

Official results were to be released slowly, with only 30% of the votes counted from 09:15 (06:15 GMT).

she put Likud slightly ahead of Blue and White, with the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, a third party, and Yisrael Beiteinu the fourth, but without specifying how this translates into seats in the Knesset (Parliament).

According to The Times of Israel, Kan, is reporting unofficial results, based on what she says, is 96. 9% of the votes counted.

It is the Likud, and Blue-and-White to 32 seats; the Israeli-Arab Joint List , second to 12 seats; Yisrael Beiteinu to nine; the ultra-Orthodox parties out of the 17 between them; the rights Yamina Alliance of seven; work Gesher to 6, and the center-left Democratic camp 5.

Based on these results, neither Netanyahu nor Mr Gantz can a majority coalition to form without the support of Yisrael Beiteinu .

Exit polls earlier presented a similar picture.

Netanyahu weakened

analysis of Tom Bateman , BBC Middle East correspondent, Jerusalem

The Prime Minister is too short to be able to make a ruling Block of the right and religious parties who are willing to put up with him. In fact, the result leaves him in an even weaker position than he was, the voice, after the April's.

It is almost impossible to predict the outcome, with a frenetic horse-trading on the way, also the chance of the parties, the fragmentation or politicians of varying affiliations. But as it stands, three major themes seem to be among the possibilities:

In the meantime, Mr Netanyahu remains, but watch this space. For a couple of weeks.

There was a muted response to the Likud, in the election-night headquarters in Tel Aviv.

hundreds of chairs for the party-goers remained empty, as activists, the figures were kept out of the hall and the leader of digested.

Likud foreign Affairs Director, noted that the Israeli exit polls had something wrong in The Past . Last time, The Number of votes for the Likud, and also for some of the religious parties, in Alliance with Netanyahu underestimated.

"There is no point to work, a coalition on the basis of these figures, as they will change," Eli Hazan said.

But Blue and White was "cautiously optimistic" that Israel is the new guide

What could happen next?

The BBC's Tom Bateman says that if the forecasts are correct, Mr Netanyahu has no easy route to the government.

In fact, the numbers put him in an even weaker position than after the April election, when the coalition broke off negotiations, he adds.

Avigdor Lieberman says he wants a "broad, liberal, national government"

Mr. Lieberman to prevent Netanyahu forming a coalition, the votes, because he refused to back down on a long-running dispute with the religious parties on the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Young Men from military service

Mr. Gantz could be even more complex task to form a government, due to the differences between the left parties

israel, benny gantz, benjamin netanyahu, israel elections 2019

Source of news: bbc.com