Israel in suspense amid tight race between Blue & White, Netanyahu's Likud

The partial results have been spun as a failure for incumbent PM Netanyahu in the second consecutive election

After 90% of the vote counted in Israel's second election of 2019, Blue & White have inched ahead with 32 seats over Likud's 31, local media reported according to the Central Elections Committee Wednesday. 

But the small margin leaves the country's two biggest parties stuck in a familiar place, unable to secure a 61-seat majority in the next Knesset (Israeli Parliament). 

Both the right-wing and center-left blocs remain in a stalemate of 55 seats a piece, if the latter counts the Joint (Arab) List, which jumped up to 13 seats after the committee corrected initially-lagging figures from Arab communities. 

Meanwhile former defense minister Avigdor Liberman is once again positioned as the kingmaker for the second consecutive election in 2019, with his Yisrael Beitenu party earning nine seats according to the partial results. 

Religious parties Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, earned nine mandates and eight mandates, respectively. 

The top two parties have oscillated in the top two spots throughout the counting process, though initial exit polls showed Blue & White holding at 33 mandates to Likud Party's 31.   

Benny Gantz hailed the early results, telling supporters at the Blue & White rally late Tuesday night, "Of course we will wait for the official results but the way it looks right now, we have accomplished our mission and we did it our way.'

The development potentially spells doom for incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces a myriad of legal problems that could see him relinquish his crown as Israel's longest serving premier. 

The Yamina right-wing political alliance received seven seats, while the left-wing's Labor Party and Democratic Union earned seven mandates and six mandates each, alleviating doubts about the survival of the historic socialist party after it choosing to partner with the centrist Gesher party before Tuesday's election.

In a sigh of relief to liberal-minded Israelis, the controversial far-right Otzma Yehudi (Jewish Power) party, infamous for their racist statements against the country's Arab community, did not pass the electoral threshold.