The margins appeared razor thin, as expected in the bitterly divided nation holding its fifth election in less than four years, but the early signs were positive for the veteran right-wing leader.
Projections from three Israeli networks put Netanyahu's Likud on track for a first place finish, within 30 or 31 seats in the 120-member parliament, the Knesset.
That number, combined with projected tallies for the extreme-right Religious Zionism alliance and the two ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties gave the bloc backing Netanyahu between 61 or 62 seats, the first projections showed.
But those can change, and previous Israeli elections have shown that slight variations as the votes are officially counted can dramatically alter the outlook.
Caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid was on track for its expected second place finish, with projections giving it between 22 and 24 seats.
But the anti-Netanyahu bloc as a whole was short of a win, according to the early forecasts from networks.
| Update at 1:30 a.m. ET: |
[IsraelTimes] Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc continues to lead as the Central Elections Committee count ballots.
The committee has tallied 2,147,301 votes during the overnight count, amounting to 44.4 percent of the total.
The ongoing count is not representative of the overall vote since ballots come in from different areas of the country at different times, and the percentages allotted to each party will likely shift as the tally continues.
The left-wing Meretz party is currently on the edge of the 3.25 percent vote minimum needed to win Knesset representation with 3.24%, although some pollsters have predicted the party will pass and win around 4-5 seats in the final tally.
The Arab Balad party is also just under the threshold with 3.11% of total votes.
If either Balad or Meretz fails to win Knesset representation it will further boost Netanyahu’s prospects for forming a coalition.
Based on the current vote count, Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc would pick up 68 seats, though this number will change as more ballots are processed.
Exit polls have predicted 62 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc, enough to secure a majority and form a coalition in the 120-seat Knesset.
| Update from the Jerusalem Post at 7:07 a.m. ET, courtesy of Skidmark: Israel election: Netanyahu's lead stable, 84.7% votes counted |
