Israel election — live: Exit polls suggest deadlock despite Netanyahu gaining most seats

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Israel holds 4th parliamentary election in two years

Exit polls indicate there is no clear winner in the Israeli election, signalling continued political deadlock.

The polls on Israel‘s three main TV stations showed current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist allies, as well as diverse array of opponents, both falling short of a parliamentary majority.

That could set the stage for weeks of paralysis and even an unprecedented fifth consecutive election.

Tuesday marked Israel’s fourth election in two years, after two deadlocked elections and the breakdown of a national unity government formed in May 2020.

• Israel elections: Voting opens in referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership
• Netanyahu desperately pins hopes on Israel’s vaccination record as country heads to polls again
• Israel votes: Main players in fourth election in two years
• Israeli election seen as referendum on divisive Netanyahu

Key Points

• Israel election exit polls suggest deadlock despite Netanyahu gaining most seats
• Polls open in ‘referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership'
• Netanyahu pins hope on vaccination record in fourth election in two years
• Netanyahu calls vote a ‘festival of democracy'
• Pick us or end up with a ‘racist’ government, says Lapid
• ‘Hopefully we can get rid of Bibi’, Israeli voter says

[23 March 2021 17:02 · Zoe Tidman]

Voting during the coronavirus pandemic

For some voters, the election during the coronavirus pandemic has fallen while they are in quarantine or infected with the virus.

Polling stations have been set up to allow these to cast their ballots:

An Israeli man in quarantine casts his ballot at a special polling stations in Tel Aviv (EPA)

A women votes for Israel’s parliamentary election at a special drive-in polling station for people who are in quarantine for coronavirus in Ramat Gan (AP)

A man prepares to cast his ballot at a special mobile polling station for Israelis in quarantine or infected with the coronavirus disease near a beach in Ashdod (REUTERS)

[23 March 2021 16:40 · Rory Sullivan]

Netanyahu’s son welcomes Salvini’s praise

Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son, has retweeted support given to his father by the populist former Italian deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini.

Mr Salvini expressed his hope that his friend would win Tuesday’s election, claiming his victory would be “in the name of peace, well-being and security”.

[23 March 2021 16:20 · Rory Sullivan]

Neither Fatah nor Hamas on course for majority in Palestinian elections, poll finds

The Israeli election comes two months before planned Palestinian elections in what would be the territory’s first general vote in 15 years.

A poll released by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) on Tuesday showed that both Fatah, the party which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which runs Gaza, would fall short of a majority if the elections go ahead.

The PCPSR survey of 1,200 Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza found that Fatah would win 43 per cent of the vote, while Hamas would take 30 per cent.

However, the poll added that Fatah’s share would fall to roughly 30 per cent after accounting for splits within the party, which mean that candidates will run their own lists.  

[23 March 2021 16:00 · Rory Sullivan]

Lowest turnout so far since 2009

By 4pm local time (2pm GMT), 2,782,010 Israelis had voted in Tuesday’s election.

This is equivalent to 42.3 per cent of the country’s population, the lowest percentage to have voted by 4pm since the 2009 election.

By comparison, the turnout rate by the same time last year was 47 per cent.

Polls remain open for four more hours.

[23 March 2021 15:38 · Rory Sullivan]

Odeh also warns voters against electing ‘racists’

Like Yair Lapid, Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List, has warned the Israeli public against electing “racists”.

The Hadash politician tweeted a picture of him voting on Tuesday morning, saying people would vote to prevent “racists from entering the Knesset”.

He urged the electorate to support “democracy and justice” for all Arabs and Jews.

[23 March 2021 15:19 · Rory Sullivan]

The Netherlands asks Israel about confiscation of Palestinian foreign minister’s travel documents

In non-election news, the Netherlands has asked Israel about reports that it removed travel credentials from the Palestinian foreign minister after he visited the International Criminial Court (ICC) in the Hague.

Riyad al-Maliki travelled to the Netherlands last week to meet the ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who is set to investigate possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories.

On Sunday, a Palestinian official said a card allowing Mr al-Maliki to cross borders freely had been confiscated following his return to the Middle East.

Responding to this, a Dutch foreign ministry spokesperson said: “We have raised the matter with the (Israeli) embassy (and) informed them that, as a host country, the Netherlands is very invested in the fact that the ICC must be able to carry out its work without interference.”

[23 March 2021 14:55 · Rory Sullivan]

Pick us or end up with a ‘racist’ government, says Lapid

Yair Lapid, the Yesh Atid leader, has suggested Israelis will end up with a “racist” government if they do not support his party.

“This is Israel’s moment of truth. At the end, it boils down to two options: a strong Yesh Atid or a government of evil and racism that won’t serve the real public, the public that holds the country together,” Haaretz reported him as saying.

[23 March 2021 14:32 · Rory Sullivan]

Electoral turnout lower than last year

As of 2pm local time (12pm GMT), 34.6 per cent of Israelis had cast their votes.

This is a 3.5 per cent drop from the turnout seen at the same point in last March’s election.

[23 March 2021 14:17 · Rory Sullivan]

Palestinian PM decries impact of Israeli occupation

Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Tuesday’s election was an “internal” matter for Israelis.

Speaking on Monday, he also condemned the Israeli occupation for its impact on Palestinians.

“All their [Israel’s] electoral campaigns were at the expense of our land and our people, and parties are competing over more land, more settlements,” he said.

[23 March 2021 13:52 · Rory Sullivan]

Cabinet secretary to be investigated for alleged breach of campaign rules

Cabinet secretary Tzachi Braverman will be investigated for an alleged breach of protocol, Haaretz has reported.

Mr Braverman posted a picture of him with a Likud voting slip on Instagram, along with the words: “We’re voting and making a difference! God willing we will succeed!”

Since he is a public servant, he is not allowed to campaign. As a result, his actions will be investigated by the civil service commissioner, the paper reported.