At 11’30 AM, With 97% of regular votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc is heading to a convincing victory, while the left-wing Meretz party remains short of crossing the threshold.
The Central Elections Committee has so far counted 4,101,766 votes, with 24,306 invalidated.
Based on the current count, Netanyahu’s bloc would pick up 65 seats, though this number may change as more ballots are processed, including some 500,000 “double envelopes” containing ballots cast by soldiers, prisoners and diplomats.
Currently, Likud has 31; Yesh Atid, 24; Religious Zionism, 14; National Unity, 12; Shas, 12; United Torah Judaism, 8; Yisrael Beytenu, 5; Ra’am, 5; Hadash-Ta’al, 5 and Labor has 4.
What a relief.
From TOI
Lapid is planning to concede in the coming hours amid many statements of abuse about him emerging from his allies on the Left where, among other back biting claims, it is being recalled that Lapid
Cannibalistic pig. Interesting conversation piece there.
In any event, Bibi is said to have begun coalition planning with his allies and is said to expect to be able to form a govt in two weeks. Of course, he has had enough time to plan for this outcome, so hopefully this is true.
The headline to this article is misleading.. It should have read “97% of the single envelope ballots counted.” The double envelope votes amount to 12% of the total votes. They are being counted now.
Meretz had previously had 3.19%, needing only 0.06% to pass the threshold.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/362158
Report: Netanyahu to offer to make former Amb. Ron Dermer a minister
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/362115