Israel election: Netanyahu and Gantz on course for dead heat

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – Israel’s general election is on course for a dead heat with nearly all votes counted, local media report.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and the centrist Blue and White alliance are projected to win 35 seats each with most votes counted.

The outcome puts Mr Netanyahu in a strong position to form a right-wing coalition government.

No party has ever won a majority in Israel’s parliament and the country has always had coalition governments.

Exit polls had predicted a tight race with no clear winner, prompting both Mr Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to claim victory on Tuesday.

But the success of other right-wing parties puts Mr Netanyahu in pole position to form a coalition and clinch a record fifth term in office.

That would see him overtake Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion as its longest-serving prime minister