The final results of the general election held in Israel on Tuesday were announced a few minutes before midnight tonight. After the count of votes by soldiers who voted at their bases and others voting away from home (such as those on state service abroad) the Likud party gains one Knesset seat, giving it a total of 36 seats, Meretz remains with four seats, and Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked's New Right party remains outside the Knesset. The party ended 1,461 votes short of the electoral threshold.
The final results are: Likud 36 seats; Blue and White 35; Shas 8; United Torah Judaism 7; Labor 6; Hadash-Ta'al 6; Yisrael Beiteinu 5; Union of Right-Wing Parties 5; Meretz 4; Kulanu 4; Balad-Ra'am 4. The voter turnout was 67.9%.
The right-haredi block has 65 seats, center-left parties have 45, and Arab parties 10.
For Likud leader and incumbent prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the likeliest coalition is with United Torah Judaism, Shas, Kulanu, the Union of Right-Wing Parties, and Yisrael Beiteinu. Without the cooperation of Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman it will be difficult for Netanyahu to form a government.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on April 12, 2019
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