Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot both claim mandate after tight Israel election, with no bloc winning a majority. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a new right-wing government after exit polls showed no clear winner in the country’s parliamentary election, with neither his bloc nor the opposition projected to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat Knesset. Netanyahu said right-wing parties had won a “decisive majority” among the Zionist and Jewish public, while the results indicated that his coalition was narrowly ahead of the main opposition alliance.

Voters turned out in their highest numbers in decades in an election that was described as make-or-break for Israel, but provisional results suggested no clear path to power for either of the main parties.

Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem Jerusalem, Oct 28: Parties opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured 67 seats in the 120-member parliament after 85.6 per cent of votes were counted in Tuesday’s election, according to updated official results. The Central Elections Committee said the results .....

Donald Trump said Benjamin Netanyahu remained in a strong position as vote counting continued. The inconclusive result has opened difficult coalition talks and raised the prospect of another election.