Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and challenger Benny Gantz have both claimed victory in the election after exit polls predicted a parliamentary majority for rightist parties under the incumbent but a big showing for Gantz's party.
The exit polls put Netanyahu's Likud with between 33 and 36 seats in the 120-seat parliament, while Gantz's Blue and White had either 36 or 37. Israeli soldiers cast their early ballots at a mobile voting booth at a military post on the northern Israel and Gaza border."These elections have a clear winner and a clear loser," it said.
Netanyahu faced further criticism on election day when members of his Likud party brought small cameras into polling stations in Arab areas. He spoke of Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and of Israel's claim of sovereignty over the annexed Golan Heights.