Israel election: Contradicting Exit polls show Netanyahu and Gantz tied

Haaretz reports that shocking exit polls destroyed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hopes of an easy victory in the Israeli election Tuesday night.

The exit polls published immediately after voting ended were contradictory: in some, Netanyahu’s rival for the premiership, Benny Gantz, held a clear lead, while others showed the two candidates virtually tied. 

Most importantly, however, after the number of Knesset seats among the numerous small parties in the race were counted, it was clear that neither leader would be able to easily assemble a majority sufficient for a ruling coalition among the right- and left-wing blocs.

Turnout has been historically lower in the Arab community and, according to pollsters, Tuesday’s election saw particularly low numbers. Netanyahu’s Likud party provided activists with 1,200 hidden cameras “to monitor” Arab polling stations — a move that prompted Israel’s Central Elections Committee to file a police complaint.  

Via Haaretz