Addressing cheering supporters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu called for a 'strong right-wing government' and urged the 'Jewish and Zionist majority' to unite. (EPA Images pic)JERUSALEM: The camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ahead of his rival's opposition bloc but still short of a majority on Wednesday after 50% of votes were counted in Israel's pivotal general election.
Voters turned out in the highest numbers in decades to give their verdict on Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister who has pushed the country sharply to the right and unleashed a wave of wars in response to Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack.
Following the vote, both Netanyahu and his rival Gadi Eisenkot vowed to form a government despite neither being projected to win a majority.
