Israel elections: Netanyahu in lead, exit polls say - BBC

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is connected people for triumph successful Tuesday's elections, according to exit polls.

The polls, which forecast the result earlier authoritative results, springiness his right-wing bloc a slim bulk of seats implicit his opponents.

Such a effect would people a melodramatic comeback for Mr Netanyahu, toppled past twelvemonth aft 12 consecutive years successful power.

"We are adjacent to a large victory," helium told his supporters successful Jerusalem.

The predetermination was wide seen arsenic a ballot for oregon against Mr Netanyahu's return.

Official results, which could inactive nutrient a antithetic outcome, are expected successful the coming hours.

His main rival, existent Prime Minister Yair Lapid, said "nothing" was yet decided.

But arsenic the polls were announced astatine 22:00 (20:00 GMT), upbeat euphony burst from large speakers astatine the cardinal venue of Mr Netanyahu's Likud enactment successful Jerusalem.

Mr Netanyahu, 73, is 1 of Israel's astir arguable governmental figures, loathed by galore connected the centre and near but adored by Likud's grassroots supporters.

He is simply a steadfast protagonist of Israel's settlement-building task successful the West Bank, occupied since the 1967 Middle East war. Settlements determination are considered amerciable nether planetary law, though Israel disputes this.

He opposes the instauration of a Palestinian authorities successful the West Bank and Gaza Strip arsenic a solution to the Israel-Palestinian struggle - a look supported by astir of the planetary community, including the Biden medication successful the US.

Mr Netanyahu is besides presently connected proceedings for alleged bribery, fraud and breach of spot - charges helium fiercely denies. His imaginable partners successful a Likud-led conjugation authorities person said they would betterment the law, successful a determination which would bring a halt to his trial.

Israel TV exit polls suggest Mr Netanyahu's bloc volition bid 61 oregon 62 seats successful the 120-seat knesset (parliament).

"It looks similar we tin beryllium optimistic and person immoderate anticipation we are astir to get a unchangeable conjugation with Bibi [Mr Netanyahu] arsenic the premier minister," said 34-year-old Likud protagonist David Adler, from Jerusalem.

"But arsenic it's been successful the past 3 years, thing is definite until the conjugation is acceptable up," helium cautioned.

According to the polls, Likud stands to beryllium the biggest party, with 30-31 seats, commanding a bulk with the enactment of nationalist and spiritual parties.

The centre-left enactment of incumbent Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who brought down Mr Netanyahu successful elections past year, is forecast to triumph 22-24 seats.

Likud's ultra-nationalist state Religious Zionism appears to person won 14 seats, which would marque it the 3rd largest party. Its leaders person gained notoriety for utilizing anti-Arab rhetoric and advocating the deportation of "disloyal" politicians oregon civilians.

"It volition beryllium amended now," said Religious Zionism supporter, Julian, astatine the party's venue successful Jerusalem. "When [Religious Zionism person Itamar Ben-Gvir] volition beryllium curate of nationalist security, it volition beryllium adjacent amended - he'll bring backmost information to the radical of Israel. That's precise important."

However, governmental idiosyncratic Gayil Talshir, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, warned that if the exit polls "reflect the existent results, Israel is connected its mode to go Orban's Hungary", precocious branded an "electoral autocracy" by the EU.

If the polls are confirmed, it volition stave disconnected the imaginable of a sixth predetermination successful conscionable 4 years aft analysts predicted deadlock.

It would people a singular turnaround for Mr Netanyahu, whose governmental aboriginal was wide written disconnected aft Mr Lapid formed an improbable confederation of ideologically divers parties to instrumentality powerfulness successful June 2021.

At the time, Mr Netanyahu vowed to bring it down arsenic rapidly arsenic possible. He engineered its illness aft conscionable 12 months.