Netanyahu Takes Lead In Israeli Election Vote Count

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was slightly ahead of his main rival in elections, with about 70% of the votes counted, various media reports said Wednesday morning. Figures from Israel's Central Elections Committee showed Netanyahu's Likud party had won 23.29% of the votes, followed by Isaac Herzog's center-left Zionist Union alliance with 18.78%, the Wall Street Journal reported. Exit polls had previously suggested the election was too close to call, as Netanyahu and Herzog were in a virtual tie, while Netanyahu had already claimed victory for his Likud party, the report said. Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister since 2009 and also held the office in the late 1990s.