EXPLAINER: Who won Israel’s latest election?

By JOSEPH KRAUSS
Associated Press

For the fifth time in four years, Israelis went to the polls, and once again, no clear victor immediately emerged. Exit polls by Israeli media gave former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist and religious allies a slight edge early Wednesday, but the final tally could change as the official count is conducted. Already, there is talk that a small Arab party could play spoiler. That would leave Netanyahu and his opponents evenly split in Israel’s Knesset, or parliament. Such a scenario would also put the country on track for yet another election early next year. Meanwhile, a Jewish ultranationalist faction emerged as the third-largest party in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset.