Israeli exit polls show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies failing to secure a governing majority, leaving the rival Blue and White party of Benny Gantz with a small lead. The results are a big letdown for Netanyahu, who called the new vote after failing to establish a government following the April elections. Once again, Avigdor Liberman, the head of the secular right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, is refusing to join Netanyahu because of his ultra-Orthodox allies.
Why it matters: Netanyahu, who has been in power for a decade, is under investigation in several bribery cases. Staying in power and getting an immunity law passed may be his best chance at avoiding indictment.
