Netanyahu and rival face tough battle for power with most votes counted

Neither side has obvious path forward as Israeli election result heads toward deadlock

Israeli leadership watches exit polls after national election 3:59

•** No clear winner**: With most votes counted, Israel is facing political deadlock, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival, ex-military chief Gadi Eisenkot, within reach of a governing majority in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.

• **Latest numbers: **Recent projections have Netanyahu’s bloc taking 53 seats, a drop from the 68-seat coalition he led in the outgoing Knesset. The opposition bloc is set to take 48 seats, while Arab parties are projected to win a record 19 seats.

• Complicated route: The opposition bloc and Arab parties have a clear majority, but some of Eisenkot’s allies oppose working with Arab parties. Several scenarios are possible, while Israel’s president called on parties to keep an “open mind” to avoid more elections.