Israeli election count nears end with no majority for Netanyahu or opposition

■ Steady

Israel's election count nears end with no majority for Netanyahu or the opposition

With over 90% of ballots counted by Thursday morning, Netanyahu's bloc has 53 seats and the opposition 67, including 48 for Eisenkot's centrist bloc and 19 for Arab-majority parties. On Wednesday, Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv in support of a Jewish-Arab government. President Herzog has urged parties to form a coalition and avoid new elections. Official results are due on November 4.

• Netanyahu called a coalition with Arab parties 'a disgrace and a shame', and most Jewish opposition parties rule out governing with Arab-led parties, which could let Netanyahu stay on as caretaker prime minister.
• Two Arab-majority parties are set for a combined 19 seats amid record turnout. Balad's leader called the opposition's refusal to ally with Arab parties racist.
• Israel's Tel Aviv 125 index fell more than 2 percent on Wednesday as exit polls showed no clear winner.
• Experts say a caretaker Netanyahu would face greater constraints but could keep significant powers, including the authority to wage war against Iran.