Israeli’s Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on the cusp of returning to power Wednesday, with initial election results showing his alliance with the extreme right taking a narrow lead.
With around 87 percent of the vote counted, according to the Central Elections Committee, initial results put Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc ahead after the country’s fifth election in four years.
Addressing supporters who chanted “King of Israel”, Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, said his Likud party had received “a huge vote of confidence”.
While Israelis are split broadly between those who support or oppose Netanyahu, the former premier has been buoyed by votes for his extreme-right allies.
The Religious Zionism bloc of Itamar Ben-Gvir has made major gains and was emerging as the third-largest party, behind Yesh Atid.
The controversial Ben-Gvir heralded the party’s showing as a “great achievement”, which is expected to hand the right-wing a majority in the 120-seat parliament.
