Suryaa Now International Desk: Jerusalem: The latest parliamentary elections in Israel are causing great excitement. The Likud party coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former... Jerusalem: The latest parliamentary elections in Israel are causing great excitement. There is a tight contest between the Likud party coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition coalition led by former military officer Gadi Eisencott. But as the counting of votes is still going on, it is not clear who will form the government. There are a total of 120 seats in the Israeli Knesset.
The support of at least 61 members is required to form the government. Current exit polls show Netanyahu's camp in the lead according to early vote counts, but still fall short of the required majority. With this, the support of small parties and Arab parties is likely to become crucial in the formation of the next government. Addressing his supporters following the election results, Netanyahu said the Likud party would remain the largest party in Israel. He also called for the formation of a strong right-wing national government. However, until the official final results are released, he cannot be said to have been finalized as the full-fledged Prime Minister once again.
Benjamin Netanyahu is already the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history. He has held the post of Prime Minister several times in the past. If he is able to form a government again in the latest elections, his dominance of Israeli politics looks set to continue for much longer. But saying that "Netanyahu has become the prime minister once again... this is the biggest victory in the history of Israel" is a foregone conclusion. It will be clear whether he will become the next Prime Minister only after the counting of votes is completed and the majority coalition required to form the government is formed.