JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and challenger Benny Gantz both claimed victory in Tuesday's election after exit polls predicted a parliamentary majority for rightist parties under the incumbent but a big showing for Gantz's party.
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"We won! The Israeli public has had its say!" said Gantz's centrist Blue and White party, which two out of three exit polls saw taking more seats than Netanyahu's conservative Likud. A third exit poll predicted the two parties would be tied.
However, two of the polls predicted that right-wing parties would together take more than 60 of parliament's 120 seats, forming a bloc that Netanyahu could marshal to form the next coalition government. The third exit poll predicted this bloc would be tied with centre-left parties tilted towards Gantz.
"The rightist bloc led by Likud has won a clear victory," Netanyahu said in a statement. "I will begin forming a right-wing government with our natural partner this very night."
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Frances Kerry)