Israel’s Arab parties appeared set for a record result as exit polls from Tuesday’s election suggested neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Benny Gantz would have enough seats to form a coalition.
Most projections showed the Israeli prime minister’s Likud party falling narrowly behind the opposition Blue & White alliance after Tuesday’s election.
It appeared to show a successful gamble for nationalist leader Avigdor Lieberman, who had taken a political gamble by refusing to join Mr Netanyahu’s government after April’s election and setting the path for this week’s repeat vote.
Meanwhile the Joint List was projected to win between 13 and 15 seats, indicating a surge in support among Israeli Jewish voters for the country’s Arab parties.
The far-right Jewish Power was not projected to win any Knesset seats.
Mr Lieberman, whose party is set to become a kingmaker in the next Knesset, and Mr Gantz both made calls for a unity government.
But the appeal was rejected by Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned of what he called a threat of an “anti-Zionist government”.
The Central Election Committee’s new ballot security measures meant that only 5 per cent of ballot papers had been counted by 3.30am on Wednesday morning, leaving analysts to rely heavily on the projections by Israel’s broadcasters.
A full unofficial result is expected by the late afternoon.
Mr Lieberman told his supporters on Tuesday evening: “Everything we said before the election, we are also saying after the election.
“We have only one option: a broad, liberal, national government made up of Yisrael Beitenu, Likud and Blue and White.”
The call was echoed by Blue & White leader Benny Gantz, who confirmed he had spoken to other left-wing parties and wanted to speak to “everyone” in an effort to form a broad unity government.
Channel 13 reported Mr Gantz had telephoned Joint List Ayman Odeh and that the two had agreed to meet.
But Mr Netanyahu launched an attack on rumours of the Blue & White leader being supported by the Joint List, saying no government could be based on support from Arab parties.
