Close Israel Elections Finish with Two Leaders Claiming Victory

World | February 11, 2009, Wednesday // 00:00
Bulgaria Israel Elections lead to Two Leaders Claiming Victory: Close Israel Elections Finish with Two Leaders Claiming Victory Ms Livni appealed Wednesday to Mr Netanyahu to join a national unity government that she would lead. Photo by BGNES

Both the leaders of Israel's main parties have claimed victory in an early general election. With almost all the votes counted, the governing centrist Kadima has 28 seats and the right-wing Likud opposition 27, the BBC reported.

Kadima's Tzipi Livni told supporters she was ready to lead the country. But Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu said the "nationalist camp" had won.

Both will need coalition partners. Nationalist party, Yisrael Beitenu, came third and the results - if confirmed - push the Labour party led by Defence Minister Ehud Barack into an unprecedented fourth place. Final results are expected within days.

Likud had held a solid lead in opinion polls prior to the election, but Kadima closed the gap in the final days.

Cheers erupted at Kadima's headquarters as the exit polls were announced on Israeli TV.

"Today the people chose Kadima," Ms Livni later told crowds of ecstatic supporters.

"The land of Israel does not belong to the right, just as peace does not belong to the left."

Ms Livni later appealed to Mr Netanyahu to join a national unity government that she would lead.

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