Trump Claims Netanyahu’s Success Even as Israel Vote Remains Unsettled
Summary
Donald Trump said his endorsement helped Benjamin Netanyahu perform better than expected in Israel’s election. With 85 percent of votes counted, Likud led the party race, but neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition had a clear path to the 61 seats needed for a governing majority.Key Facts
- Trump said he had heard Netanyahu did better than early polling suggested and described the result as possibly a stalemate or a win.
- Trump said he had not spoken with Netanyahu about the election results and that it was too early to draw conclusions.
- With 85 percent of votes counted, Likud had 20.8 percent of the vote and the opposition party Yashar had 16.1 percent.
- Israeli media projections put Likud and its allies at about 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while Eisenkot’s allied parties were projected to hold 48.
- Arab-led parties were projected to hold 19 seats, according to the reported figures.
- A governing coalition needs support from at least 61 lawmakers.
- Netanyahu has rejected partnering with Arab-led parties, and those parties have also ruled out joining his coalition.
- Election officials cited by the AP said absentee ballots, including votes from military personnel and diplomats, were expected to be counted through Thursday evening.
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