Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory early Wednesday as preliminary exit polls showed a near tie with his main rival.
Millions of Israelis cast ballots to determine their party’s next leader and the make up of parliament.
The Likud party, headed by Netanyahu, had a slight lead — 28 seats over 27 seats — compared with the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog, according to Channel 2 Israel.
Two other broadcasters, channels 10 and 1, show the two tied with 27 seats each.
The incumbent claimed victory ahead of a final count.
“Against all odds, we achieved this huge victory,” Netanyahu told cheering supporters. “Now we should form a strong and stable government that will be able to take care of the security, safety and welfare of each and every citizen of Israel.”
The Zionist Union hit back, accusing the Likud party of misleading.
“The rightist bloc has shrunk. Everything is possible until the real results are in, when we can know which parties passed the electoral threshold and which government we can form,” it said in a statement. “All the spins and statements are premature.”
Official results are not expected until next week, and the process of building coalitions could take much longer.
Israel is ready for change, said Gabriel Sassoon, foreign communications adviser for the Herzog campaign.
“The fat lady has far from sung in this case. We do not know,” he said. ” The parties are neck and neck and it’s a matter of coalition negotiations and let me tell you, it’s entirely possible to form a center-left coalition at this point. Israel is tired of nine long years of Netanyahu.”
Election ballots are for political parties rather than individual candidates. Israel has a proportional representation system, meaning a coalition government is likely to be formed within its 120-seat Knesset.
‘Stunning turnaround’
Before polls closed Tuesday, Netanyahu released a video on his Facebook page urging his supporters to vote. He suggested that leftists are bringing “huge amounts” of Israel’s Arab citizens to the polls to vote against his Likud party.
“The right regime is in danger, the Arab voters are coming in huge amounts to the polls,” Netanyahu said. “The leftists are bringing them (Arabs) in huge amounts to polls using buses. … We have an urgent wake-up call.”
Arabs make up about 20% of Israel’s population. According to the early exit poll estimates, an Arab coalition ranked as the third largest party.
Netanyahu’s statement “clearly shows he is feeling the pressure,” said Moshe Kahlon, a former Likud minister who now heads the Kulanu party.
“These remarks were inappropriate and regrettable,” Kahlon said.
But CNN’s Elise Labott said the “stunning turnaround” may have been a result of Netanyahu’s sharp turn toward the right during the final days of the campaign.
“It seems to have worked. He seems to have energized that right-wing base and now he is neck-and-neck with Isaac Herzog, even inching a little bit ahead of him,” she said.
Following the release of exit poll estimates, President Reuven Rivlin said citizens need a ruling government as soon as possible.
“The President will work with all the election bodies to start the consultations process ASAP. We hope to start as soon as Sunday,” his office said in a statement.
