Netanyahu Claims Likud Leads in New  Election in Israel    

 Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told fans of Likud that the latest data shows the rightist party and its allies at 59.7 of required 61 seats.

He claimed Sunday that his party’s internal polling showed he was a stone’s throw away from a Knesset majority that would allow the formation of a right-wing government.

“Our data from three hours ago shows we are at 59.7 seats,” he told supporters at an election rally outside Tel Aviv.

He referred to his bloc of right-wing and religious parties. “We are very close to victory.”

He said, “this movement [of votes] is a consistent trend of recent days, and we can bring about the formation of a secure right-wing government for Israel.”

Polling in the final days before Monday’s election showed support for Likud grow slightly, possibly surpassing its rival Blue and White.

The surveys cover the few days ahead of Monday election indicated Likud is still several seats short of achieving a 61-seat Knesset majority without the support of Yisrael Beytenu and its leader Avigdor Liberman.

In response to his speech, Attorney Shachar Ben Meir filed a petition against Netanyahu with the Central Elections Committee on Sunday, accusing the prime minister of breaking election laws, which forbid the publication of polling data in the three days before an election.

"Ben Meir demanded that Likud be fined for the violation," Haaretz reported.

The Likud party responded in a statement, saying the ban is against broadcasting or publishing polls and that Netanyahu had made “a verbal announcement” rather than publishing the results of the survey.

Monday is the nation’s third election in less than a year, after neither Netanyahu nor Blue and White leader Benny Gantz was able to form coalitions in the last two rounds, and talks on a unity government fell through.

The prime minister suffered a setback Sunday evening as the far-right Otzma Yehudit party declared it would not step down — potentially costing the right-wing bloc 1-2 seats.

If, as projected, Otzma Yehudit fails to pass the electoral threshold (3.25 percent of the vote, or four seats), any votes for it would be discounted. It has consistently been polling at around 1%-1.5%.

Netanyahu is hoping to stretch the bloc past the 61 seats needed for a majority.

Polls have shown Netanyahu’s bloc at up to 58 seats compared to 55 for a centrist-left bloc lead by Gantz, leaving Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party, predicted to win at least seven seats, holding the balance of power.

Liberman has rejected a government that includes Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies, saying he wants a secularist coalition.

He has also ruled out allying with the Arab-dominated Joint List, whose members he has dubbed “a fifth column.”

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party claimed Sunday that should a left-leaning government be formed after the elections, Jews in Israel could be scared to wear a kippah ( the Jewish head cap).

“A left-wing government is likely to be formed here with the support of Liberman and the ( Arab) Joint List.