Netanyahu Bloc Leads Israeli Vote Count as Final Tally Awaited

Tel Aviv, October 29

The count in Israel's parliamentary election continued on Thursday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc maintaining its lead. Neither the governing camp nor the main opposition secured a clear parliamentary majority.

According to the Central Elections Committee, the Netanyahu-led bloc was projected to win 53 seats in the next Knesset on Wednesday evening, while the opposition bloc was estimated to win 48.

The official count stood at 91 percent by Thursday morning. Double-envelope ballots, which were still to be tallied, were expected to be counted overnight and could affect the final picture.

Arab parties have already won 19 seats, according to reports from the count. The community recorded record turnout in this election, adding a notable dimension to the results.

Amid the close race, Netanyahu alleged on Wednesday that Arab parties had 'stolen' the election. Police and an official from the Central Elections Committee later rejected the claims of fraud.

The police said that unusual incidents did occur on polling day but were fewer than in the last election. They reiterated that there was no investigative or intelligence evidence to support allegations of wrongdoing.

Likud's official statement described the electoral process as seriously compromised. The party also demanded scrutiny of the process and accused Arab parties of attempting to weaken Israel by supporting terrorism, seeking to end the Jewish state, and engaging in bribery, threats, violence, fraud and the use of illegal software.