Exit Polls Show: Netanyahu Emerges Victorious
The exit polls of the March 2020 elections for the 23rd Knesset show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obtain a decisive victory and appears to be the leading candidate to form the next government. He is one seat short of establishing a government of 61 members.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C), his wife Sarah and Likud’s Knesset members, at the Likud party event on elections night at Tel Aviv Conventions Center in Ganei HaTaarucha, after first results were publicized. Tel Aviv, Sep 18, 2019. Photo by Eitan Elhadez/TPS
The March 2020 elections saw the highest turnout since 1999.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud – 36
Benny Gantz’s Blue and White – 33
Labor + Gesher + Meretz – 6
The Joint Arab List – 15
United Torah Judaism – 8
Yemina – 7
Shas – 9
Yisrael Beiteinu – 6
Otzmah Yehudit – 0, failed to pass the electoral threshold.
(The numbers are based on Kan 11’s polls).
The main battle is between the right-wing bloc, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party, which has 60 seats, and between the center-left bloc, led by Benny Gantz and his Blue and White party, which has only 40.
Netanyahu has obtained a significant enough majority to form a government. Netanyahu does not have the required 61 seats, although he is much closer to this number than Blue and White.
Gantz cannot rely on the Arab votes and is far from a coalition.
The left, including Labor and Meretz, took a beating at the ballots.
Netanyahu and the right will probably seek one member of the opposition to join them.
It should be noted that the exit polls last elections in 2015 failed to predict the actual outcome of the elections. A poll from the April elections likewise missed the mark. September’s exit poll was accurate.
Similarly, the exit polls do not take into consideration the soldiers’ votes, which are usually more to the right and can boost to the right-wing parties.
