Three exit polls by non-mainstream networks diverge wildly, with solidly pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 projecting majority for PM’s bloc

Alongside the three mainstream TV channels’ exit polls — which all agree in projecting 52 Knesset seats for the Zionist opposition bloc, 50 for the current coalition parties, and 18 for the Arab-led parties — three other channels have released their own exit polls, all of which diverge from those projections.

The staunchly pro-government Channel 14, which has consistently been an extreme outlier during years of opinion polling in predicting an outright win for the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is an extreme outlier tonight as well, giving the premier and his allies a majority in a result that differs from the mainstream channels by a whopping 12 seats.

It projects 62 seats for the Netanyahu-led bloc in the 120-seat Knesset — 31 for Likud, 10 for Shas, and 7 each for United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism-Zehut; only 40 for the anti-Netanyahu Zionist bloc — 20 for Yashar, 11 for B’Yachad, 9 for The Democrats while Yisrael Beytenu fails to pass the threshold; and 18 for the Arab-led parties (similar to the other exit polls) — 11 for the Joint List and 7 for Ra’am.

Meanwhile, an exit poll by i24News — a channel also seen as relatively sympathetic to the current government — predicts 55 seats for the pro-Netanyahu bloc — 27 for Likud, 8 for Shas, 7 each for Otzma Yehudit and UTJ and 6 for Religious Zionism; 49 for the Zionist opposition bloc — 20 for Yashar, 15 for B’Yachad, 9 for The Democrats and 5 for Yisrael Beytenu; and 16 for the Arab-led parties — 9 for the Joint List and 7 for Ra’am.

And an exit poll by the fledgling Channel 16 projects 53 seats for the Netanyahu-led bloc — 25 for Likud, and 7 each for Otzma Yehudit, Shas, UTJ and Religious Zionism; 51 for the anti-Netanyahu Zionist bloc — 22 for Yashar, 13 for B’Yachad, 11 for The Democrats and 6 for Yisrael Beytenu; and 16 for the Arab-majority slates — the Joint List with 11 seats and Ra’am with 5.