Netanyahu bloc leads after 50 pct of votes counted

The camp of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ahead of the opposition on Wednesday after 50 percent of votes were counted in Israel's pivotal general election, figures from the Central Elections Committee showed.

After 50.1 percent of ballots were counted, Netanyahu's bloc was projected to win 56 of the 120 seats in the parliament, compared with 49 for the opposition bloc and 15 for the Arab parties. The partial results are likely to change, and several exit polls showed the camps neck-and-neck without a majority.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his endorsement of Netanyahu in this week's elections helped him "a lot".

"I think when the endorsement went out, it had helped him a lot," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, referring to Netanyahu.