The trends emerging shortly before the exit polls is of a grave setback for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's chances of gathering a majority (61 of 120 Knesset seats) for forming a stable government coalition amid the meteoric rise of a new face in Israeli politics, centrist ex-journalist Yair Lapid, who looks like pushing Shelly Yacimovich's veteran Labor party down to third place.
This is reported by DEBKA file. She is upbeat about leading a left-of-center bloc supported by the Arab parties for blocking Netanyahu's path to a new government. Jewish Home under its new leader, pro-settlement high-tech tycoon Naftali Bennett looks like ranking fourth. Both newcomers are in their 40s.
The voter turnout in the country and the armed forces in particular was exceptionally high.
A pared-down Likud-Beitenu bloc will curtail Netanyahu's leeway for forming a viable government coalition and sharpen the horse-trading, which starts Tuesday night as soon as the exit polls are in. He was heard during the day suggesting that a new election may be necessary. via debka.com
grave setback for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's chances of gathering a majority (61 of 120 Knesset seats) for forming a stable government coalition amid the meteoric rise of a new face in Israeli politics, centrist ex-journalist Yair Lapid, who looks like pushing Shelly Yacimovich's veteran Labor party down to third place.
