With 70% of vote counted, Netanyahu bloc on course for win, Ra’am crosses threshhold

With just over 70% of the votes counted Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc continues to lead, and the Islamist Ra’am party crosses the threshold for the first time.

The Central Elections Committee has so far counted 3,451,440 votes, with 20,571 invalidated.

Based on the current count, Netanyahu’s bloc would pick up 67 seats, though this number will change as more ballots are processed.

Exit polls have predicted 62 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc, enough to secure a majority and form a coalition in the 120-seat Knesset.

The Islamist Ra’am party, projected to win four seats in exit polls, is currently over the electoral threshold for the first time at 3.86%, according to the current count.

The left-wing Meretz party is currently on the edge of the 3.25% vote minimum needed to win Knesset representation, with 3.05%, although some pollsters have predicted the party will pass and win four-five seats in the final tally.

The opposition Arab Balad party is also under the threshold with 2.69% of total votes.

If Ra’am, Balad, or Meretz fail to win Knesset representation it will further boost Netanyahu’s prospects for forming a coalition.

The ongoing count is not representative of the overall vote since ballots come in from different areas of the country at different times, and the percentages allotted to each party will likely shift as the tally continues.