Iran Press/ Middle East: The first polls indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud won 36-37 seats. Its allies in Shas, UTJ, and Yamina won 9, 7-8 and 6-7 respectively. The polls showed Blue and White with 33 seats, its ally Labor-Gesher-Meretz 6-7, the Joint List 14-15 and Yisrael Beytenu 6-8.
After updating the numbers by the Israeli media, Blue and White alliance leader Benny Gantz gained one seat to 34 and the blocs shifted slightly, leaving the right-wing with only 59 seats.
If the Right does not obtain its 61st seat, it could end up being because the far-right Otzma Yehudit refused Netanyahu’s repeated requests to quit the race.
It is the third election in under a year after previous rounds ended with neither of the two main party leaders in the Israeli regime being able to form a government.
It comes after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, failed to agree on a governing coalition after two previous elections last April and September so the Knesset voted to dissolve itself as Netanyahu failed to bridge the gap between secular and religious allies to form a coalition indicating a great chasm among the parties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's criminal trial on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust is set to begin on March 17, an Israeli court announced on 18 February.
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