Israel election: Preliminary results show Netanyahu poised to return to power

In a decisive election, long-serving former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could return to power if exit polls remain the same.

Yesh Atid, the party of Netanyahu’s main rival, interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid, appeared set to garner only 24 seats, according to the polls. The assortment of parties that would be willing to support him in forming an anti-Netanyahu government were only slated to reach 55 seats. Two key parties appeared as though they would not pass the electoral threshold.  Ruth Marks Eglash is a veteran journalist based in Jerusalem, Israel. She reports for Fox News Digital and covers the Middle East and Europe. She is a Senior Correspondent for Jewish Insider and previously served as the Deputy Bureau Chief for The Washington Post and as Deputy Managing Editor and senior reporter for The Jerusalem Post. Originally from the U.K, she has also freelanced for numerous news outlets including the Huffington Post, USA Today, and the Christian Science Monitor. Ruth can be followed on Twitter @reglash

The final result of what could be the country’s most decisive election yet — bringing an end to an endless cycle of elections — will not be known for at least the next few hours and possibly the next few days or even weeks, if votes are contested. In addition, if any of the parties hovering at the electoral threshold do indeed break through, the final numbers could change dramatically.