Kadima and Likud Claim Victory in Israel Poll
Israeli elections produce the tightest of races with early results putting Tzipi Livni only narrowly ahead of Binyamin Netanyahu
Israeli elections produced the tightest of races last night with early results putting Tzipi Livni, the centrist foreign minister, only narrowly ahead of her rightwing rival Binyamin Netanyahu.
Both candidates claimed victory early today, each promising to lead a broad national unity government. A long, drawn-out struggle for power now lies ahead as each seeks to forge enough support for a coalition government.
Polls from three main television stations, broadcast moments after voting closed last night, all put Livni's Kadima party ahead by two seats, but they also predicted that rightwing parties had fared best overall.
Early results showed her lead was even closer. With slightly more than half the votes counted early today, Kadima had 29 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, with Netanyahu's Likud opposition party just behind on 28.
Even though Livni may have won the elections, she may yet lose the government. If Kadima ends up with the largest number of seats, she may not become prime minister if the rightwing parties can muster a larger coalition.
Avigdor Lieberman, the far-right leader, came in third, ahead of Ehud Barak, the labor leader and defence minister, whose party was heading for one of its worst election results.
"Everything is wide open and up for negotiations," said Mitchell Barak, a pollster from Keevoon Research. He said a national unity government, bringing together the main parties, was most likely. "The only question is who is going to head it," he said.
Livni claimed that role for herself. "The people of Israel have chosen Kadima, and we will complete this task by forming a unity government headed by us," she said in a speech to party supporters.
There was stunned silence at Netanyahu's party headquarters in Tel Aviv when the exit polls were announced. For months leading up to the election he had been comfortably ahead, but his lead narrowed sharply in the final days. In part the rise of Lieberman took votes away from Likud.
Yet Netanyahu sounded just as victorious as his rival, and promised a "broad and stable" government. "The question is not what the polls said. The question is what reality says," he said in a rousing speech to his supporters. "With God's help, I will lead the next government."
Likud figures pointed out that the rightwing parties as a whole were forecast to achieve a majority of more than 60 seats in the Knesset while leftwing parties fell short of a joint majority.
Even if Livni wants to form a national unity government, bringing Netanyahu and Barak on board, there is no guarantee either would accept. Barak said he would continue to lead Labour and left open the possibility of joining a new government. "Nothing can be taken for granted," he said.
Next week, once official results are formally published, the Israeli president will call on the leader of the party he thinks most likely to form a coalition, regardless of whether that is the largest party, and give him or her 42 days to complete the task.
If the final result is this close it also makes Lieberman a king maker. If Livni can draw him into a coalition she might hope to find a majority, but including him might cost her the support of some of the more leftwing parties.
The early election was triggered last autumn when the current prime minister, Ehud Olmert of Kadima, said he would resign in the wake of several corruption investigations. He stays on as a caretaker prime minister until the new cabinet is formed.
Many voters said they were undecided until they walked into the polling booth.
Gil Erlich, 28, a psychologist, had voted labor in the past but yesterday opted for Livni, saying he hoped to keep out the rightwing. "The main issue is the matter of rightwing versus leftwing," he said. "It doesn't really matter how many votes Bibi or Tzipi gets. What is really important is who builds the coalition."
Despite bad weather, turnout among Israel's 5.3 million eligible voters was good at 65.2%, higher than in the last elections three years ago.
Both candidates claimed victory early today, each promising to lead a broad national unity government. A long, drawn-out struggle for power now lies ahead as each seeks to forge enough support for a coalition government.
Polls from three main television stations, broadcast moments after voting closed last night, all put Livni's Kadima party ahead by two seats, but they also predicted that rightwing parties had fared best overall.
Early results showed her lead was even closer. With slightly more than half the votes counted early today, Kadima had 29 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, with Netanyahu's Likud opposition party just behind on 28.
Even though Livni may have won the elections, she may yet lose the government. If Kadima ends up with the largest number of seats, she may not become prime minister if the rightwing parties can muster a larger coalition.
Avigdor Lieberman, the far-right leader, came in third, ahead of Ehud Barak, the labor leader and defence minister, whose party was heading for one of its worst election results.
"Everything is wide open and up for negotiations," said Mitchell Barak, a pollster from Keevoon Research. He said a national unity government, bringing together the main parties, was most likely. "The only question is who is going to head it," he said.
Livni claimed that role for herself. "The people of Israel have chosen Kadima, and we will complete this task by forming a unity government headed by us," she said in a speech to party supporters.
There was stunned silence at Netanyahu's party headquarters in Tel Aviv when the exit polls were announced. For months leading up to the election he had been comfortably ahead, but his lead narrowed sharply in the final days. In part the rise of Lieberman took votes away from Likud.
Yet Netanyahu sounded just as victorious as his rival, and promised a "broad and stable" government. "The question is not what the polls said. The question is what reality says," he said in a rousing speech to his supporters. "With God's help, I will lead the next government."
Likud figures pointed out that the rightwing parties as a whole were forecast to achieve a majority of more than 60 seats in the Knesset while leftwing parties fell short of a joint majority.
Even if Livni wants to form a national unity government, bringing Netanyahu and Barak on board, there is no guarantee either would accept. Barak said he would continue to lead Labour and left open the possibility of joining a new government. "Nothing can be taken for granted," he said.
Next week, once official results are formally published, the Israeli president will call on the leader of the party he thinks most likely to form a coalition, regardless of whether that is the largest party, and give him or her 42 days to complete the task.
If the final result is this close it also makes Lieberman a king maker. If Livni can draw him into a coalition she might hope to find a majority, but including him might cost her the support of some of the more leftwing parties.
The early election was triggered last autumn when the current prime minister, Ehud Olmert of Kadima, said he would resign in the wake of several corruption investigations. He stays on as a caretaker prime minister until the new cabinet is formed.
Many voters said they were undecided until they walked into the polling booth.
Gil Erlich, 28, a psychologist, had voted labor in the past but yesterday opted for Livni, saying he hoped to keep out the rightwing. "The main issue is the matter of rightwing versus leftwing," he said. "It doesn't really matter how many votes Bibi or Tzipi gets. What is really important is who builds the coalition."
Despite bad weather, turnout among Israel's 5.3 million eligible voters was good at 65.2%, higher than in the last elections three years ago.
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