Israel Election Results | Netanyahu's Bloc Ahead Of Opposition, But Falls Short Of Majority

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition is leading the Israel election against his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, but both coalitions appear to have fallen well short of the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, according to exit polls. Netanyahu's Likud is leading with approximately 27 per cent of the vote after the first 100,000 ballots were counted, while Eisenkot's "change" bloc held about 17 per cent of the vote, according to the data shared by Israel's Central Election Committee. Results are seen as voters' disappointment in Netanyahu's alliance with the far-right and anger over draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews, which appeared to have shrunk his bloc's majority in parliament, jeopardising his return to power.