File Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech next to his wife Sara as he reacts to exit poll figures in Israel's parliamentary elections. (AFP Photo)
Results released by Israel's Central Elections Committee today confirmed a big win for the rightwing Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the centre-left Zionist Union.
The Likud won 30 of the 120 seats in parliament to 24 for the Zionist Union.
Rightwing and religious parties, including the centre-right Kulanu, won a total of 67 seats against 53 for centrist, leftwing and Arab parties.
The committee described the figures as "almost final," saying the official results would be published on March 25 after different checks had been carried out and complaints of voting irregularities investigated.