JERUSALEM
Unofficial results of Israel's Knesset election have shown that the right-wing Likud Party can form the next government in Israel, even without partnering with the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
Channel 7 said the party of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could form the next government without the need to form a coalition with Israel's left.
The Hebrew language national daily Yedioth Ahronoth, meanwhile, said the results of Tuesday's vote contradicted the results of all opinion polls conducted before the election.
The newspaper said all these opinion polls expected Herzog's Zionist Union to win the election.
It also described the gap between Likud and the Zionist Union as "wide" as far as unofficial election results were concerned.
Millions of Israelis cast their votes in their country's Knesset election on Tuesday to determine Israel's next prime minister and also the make-up of its parliament.
Netanyahu's party won 30 seats, while the Zionist Union won 24 seats, according to unofficial results released by Israel Radio earlier on Wednesday after counting 100 percent of election votes.
The joint list, which is made up of four Arab parties, also won 13 seats, whereas the Yesh Atid Party, which is led by former finance minister Yair Lapid, won 11 seats.
The Hebrew daily Israel Hayom also said that the leader of Likud could form a stable government in the light of the election results.
The newspaper suggested that Netanyahu could include other right-wing parties in the new government in addition to Kulano Party, which is led by former communication minister Moshe Kahlon.
The party was reported to have won ten seats.
Israel Hayom described the election result as "important," citing rifts on Israel's political stage.
A short time after polling stations closed down, Israel's media also dwelt on the reactions of the backers of the main election rivals.
Some newspapers published photos, showing the worry of the backers of the Zionist Union, especially when vote counting started.
Other photos showed Netanyahu's supporters dancing, especially when preliminary exit polls showed his Likud Party leading in the election.
Official election results are expected to be out on Thursday.
