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Israel election: Gantz says he will fight to form 'unity government' as exit polls too close to call – live news Israel election: Gantz says he will fight to form 'unity government' as exit polls too close to call – live news
(41 minutes later)
Netanyahu is speaking to a crowd of a few hundred people. There are people standing on chairs with Israeli flags and there is a Trump Banner in the hall just like in April.
“My friends, members of the Likud, partners in my path. I have a sore throat,” he says.
“But it is better to lose my voice than to lose your country.”
“I have come here tonight together with my wife Sara” – chants of “Sara! Sara!” – “I came here tonight to say thank you, thank you from the depths of my heart. We thank you, we trust you, we believe in you.”
He says it was a “tough election campaign”. “I want to thank first of all the members of the parliament and members of the Likud, we worked together in unity and together we will be united for the future, the future for the good of Israel.”
Benjamin Netanyahu is addressing supporters at the Likud election party.
The crowd is cheering “Bibi! Bibi!”. They are also chanting: “We don’t want unity!” (Meaning a unity government.)
Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived at the Likud election party. He is walking through the crowd, shaking hands of supporters.
A little on voter turnout today, which was slightly higher than for April’s vote.
Israel’s election commission says 69.4% of eligible voters cast ballots in unprecedented repeat elections, with 4,440,141 votes cast by the time polls closed in Tuesday’s elections.
Turnout in April’s elections was 68.5%. Parliament voted to dissolve itself when Netanyahu was not able to form a majority coalition.
Interestingly, turnout among Arab voters was significantly higher than it was in April’s vote, suggesting Netanyahu’s anti-Arab scaremongering may have actually boosted Arab turnout.
Turnout among Arabs 61%, up from 49% in April. @AyOdeh says one of their seats came from Jews mad at incitement against Arabs by @netanyahu.
We have had word that Benjamin Netanyahu will address supporters in five minutes. Our correspondent Oliver Holmes has rushed across town to get from the Blue and White party to the Likud party and will have updates for us as soon as that speech begins.
Benny Gantz sounded a cautiously optimistic note in his speech to supporters, saying he will try to form a unity government, but is still waiting for official results to come through. pic.twitter.com/aNjvCOwKqYBenny Gantz sounded a cautiously optimistic note in his speech to supporters, saying he will try to form a unity government, but is still waiting for official results to come through. pic.twitter.com/aNjvCOwKqY
Gantz is high-fiving and hugging supporters and candidates on stage.Gantz is high-fiving and hugging supporters and candidates on stage.
Gantz says he will speak to “everybody” to form a coalition, including Lieberman.Gantz says he will speak to “everybody” to form a coalition, including Lieberman.
“I will fight to create a national unity government,” he says. “A wide unity government.”“I will fight to create a national unity government,” he says. “A wide unity government.”
Gantz is calling on his political opponents to meet with him to form a better government for all citizens.Gantz is calling on his political opponents to meet with him to form a better government for all citizens.
He reiterates that they need to wait patiently for results to come in.He reiterates that they need to wait patiently for results to come in.
He finishes by saying: “Last night I went to the Wailing Wall and I prayed that I would be capable to fulfil my assignment tonight.”He finishes by saying: “Last night I went to the Wailing Wall and I prayed that I would be capable to fulfil my assignment tonight.”
Speech is done, Gantz has left the stage to applause.Speech is done, Gantz has left the stage to applause.
“According to the results, it looks like for the second time, the citizens of Israel gave their trust to us, the citizens gave their trust to unity and to respect democracy in Israel as a country that is a Jewish state and a democratic state,” says Gantz.“According to the results, it looks like for the second time, the citizens of Israel gave their trust to us, the citizens gave their trust to unity and to respect democracy in Israel as a country that is a Jewish state and a democratic state,” says Gantz.
“We proved and I promise that starting tonight, regardless of the results, the beginning of the campaign to heal Israel society has started.”“We proved and I promise that starting tonight, regardless of the results, the beginning of the campaign to heal Israel society has started.”
Gantz is thanking supporters and volunteers: “You are the change,” he says.Gantz is thanking supporters and volunteers: “You are the change,” he says.
Gantz is also thanking his family, who says have barely seen him over the last three months and his running mates, including Yair Lapid, whom he calls a friend as well as a political ally.Gantz is also thanking his family, who says have barely seen him over the last three months and his running mates, including Yair Lapid, whom he calls a friend as well as a political ally.
“We are going to have a meeting to summarise, we have to be patient. This is a long road, we took a big assignment on us and now we have to exercise patient to get the final result. It looks according to the results right now that Netanyahu did not manage to fulfil his mission.”“We are going to have a meeting to summarise, we have to be patient. This is a long road, we took a big assignment on us and now we have to exercise patient to get the final result. It looks according to the results right now that Netanyahu did not manage to fulfil his mission.”
“The idea that is Blue and White that we started just one year ago is a valid one and it is part of Israel.”“The idea that is Blue and White that we started just one year ago is a valid one and it is part of Israel.”
Benny Gantz is onstage addressing supporters, saying “Of course we will wait for the real results but it looks like we stayed on our target and we did it our way” pic.twitter.com/5adUP7vH84Benny Gantz is onstage addressing supporters, saying “Of course we will wait for the real results but it looks like we stayed on our target and we did it our way” pic.twitter.com/5adUP7vH84
The crowd is chanting: “Who is this? The next prime minister!”The crowd is chanting: “Who is this? The next prime minister!”
Benny Gantz is addressing supporters at the Blue and White election party.Benny Gantz is addressing supporters at the Blue and White election party.
“I am excited to be here tonight. Of course we will wait for the official results but the way it looks right now, we have accomplished our mission and we did it our way.”“I am excited to be here tonight. Of course we will wait for the official results but the way it looks right now, we have accomplished our mission and we did it our way.”
Benny Gantz has arrived on stage. Supporters are cheering and chanting.Benny Gantz has arrived on stage. Supporters are cheering and chanting.
Yair Lapid, Gantz’s main running partner is now on stage, he says: “The citizens of Israel showed today that they are better than the politicians of Israel.”
Moshe Ya’alon, the former defence minister and current running mate of Benny Gantz says to supporters of Gantz’s Blue and White party, as they wait to hear about the outcome of today’s vote:
“We need to wait for the real results but the people said clearly what they want. They said no to lying politics, no to hate politics, no to corruption.”
Moshe Ya’alon, another running mate of Gantz’s has come on stage at the Blue and White election party.
He says Blue and White “is a clear message to bring the state of Israel back onto the tracks”.
Benny Gantz’s running mate Gabi Ashkenazi is onstage at the Blue and White election party. He is thanking volunteers from across the country and saying they are waiting for official results to come through.
Benny Gantz’s running mate Gabi Ashkenazi is addressing supporters at the Blue and White election party #israelelections2019 pic.twitter.com/RxSqWgNkzY
We are expecting the two leaders to address their supporters within the next hour.
Benny Gantz is expected onstage at his Blue and White election party any moment (someone just came onstage to test the microphone, which is being interpreted as a sign his arrival is imminent).
Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address Likud supporters within the next hour. We’ll bring you news of both speeches when they happen.
Oliver Holmes, the Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent, is at the Blue and White election party and just spoke to another Blue and White candidate. He is ninth on their list so will certainly make it into parliament.
He says Blue and White’s strategy will be to form a unity government with Likud, but importantly without Netanyahu. It’s unclear whether the Likud party will drop its leader, who has served ten consecutive years.
I pressed him on it, but he stood firm, saying there cannot be a “government led by a man who has encouraged tribalism inside Israeli society”
The Guardian’s Jerusalem correspondent Oliver Holmes is at Blue and White HQ, where things are heating up after poll updates put their candidate Benny Gantz slightly ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu.
He says Blue and White officials told himGantz was due to speak about an hour ago. Still waiting but they appear to be preparing the stage for someone.
Things are beginning to heat up at the election party of Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party, says the Guardian’s Oliver Holmes, after exit polls show a more positive result for their party. #israelelections2019 pic.twitter.com/fnoLiCBgjI
Hello everyone, I’m taking over from Kevin Rawlinson and will bringing you the news as it comes in overnight. Thanks for following along.
Several exit polls have been updated and the results are not looking great for Netanyahu’s Likud party. But, we must stress, these are exit polls, not official results.
Channel 11 has Likud losing a seat, down to 31 seats, with Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party on 32.
Channel 11 has also updated its exit poll and it's bad for Netanyahu as well. Likud loses a seat, down now to 31 (B&W still on 32) and Joint List gains a seat. So Netanyahu coalition in that poll down to 55 seats.
The Jerusalem Post reports on an updated exit poll from Channel 13, which puts Blue and White at 2 seats and Netanyahu’s Likud party on 30 seats, meaning Netanyahu’s centre-right bloc is sitting on a total of 53 seats and the Gantz’s centre-left bloc has a total of 59.
That’s it from me for now. My colleague, Kate Lyons, will be taking it from here.
Channel 13 just made a dramatic update to their exit poll after rechecking. They now give Blue and White a better chance at winning. At Blue and White election party HQ, everyone screamed in delight when the news arrived on big screens.
It bears repeating once again, however, that these are all just polls and not the result.
Updated Channel 13 exit pollBlue and White 32Likud 30**Joint List 15**Shas 9Yisrael Beytenu 8UTJ 8 Yamina 6Democratic Union 6Labor-Gesher 6Center-Left 59 (with Joint List)Right 53