TEL AVIV – Exit polls for Israel’s neck-and-neck election has Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party both tying with and losing to main challenger Benny Gantz’s Blue and White depending on whom you ask.
Still, in two out of three main exit polls, the right-wing bloc had a better chance to form the next government led by Netanyahu as opposed to his Blue and White rivals.
Israeli election results, however, have been notoriously unreliable in past elections.
In Channel 12’s exit polls, published at 10 p.m. at the closing of the polls, Netanyahu took 33 seats — four less than Gantz’s 37. Channel 12’s exit polls saw the right-wing bloc tied with the center left-wing at 60 seats apiece, meaning Netanyahu did not have a clear coalition outright.
But Channel 13’s poll found both main parties securing 36 seats. That poll gave Netanyahu a clear path to a right-wing coalition with 64 seats compared to 54 for the left and center.
And according to Channel 11, Netanyahu’s party still had less than Blue and White, but only by a single seat at 36 while Blue and White had 37.
Kan broadcaster showed 64 for the right bloc and 56 for the left.
The final official results will only be released on Wednesday.
Below is the full list of exit polls according to different channels:
Channel 11
Blue and White 37
Likud
Labor 8
United Torah Judaism 7
Hadash-Ta’al 6
Meretz 5
Kulanu 5
Union of Right-wing Parties 5
Yisrael Beytenu 4
Channel 12:
Blue and white 37
The Likud 33
United Torah Judaism 7
Labor 6
Hadash-Ta’al 6
Balad-Ra’am 6
Meretz 5
Yisrael Beytenu 5
Union of Right-wing Parties 5
Kulanu 4
Channel 13:
Blue and White 37
Likud 36
Labor 7
Hadash-Ta’al 7
United Torah Judaism 7
Shas 7
Union of Right-wing Parties 4
New Right 4
Meretz 4
Kulanu 4
Yisrael Beytenu 4