JERUSALEMJERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's battle for political survival looked set to stretch on after exit polls following Tuesday's election showed the race too close to call and Israel's longest-serving leader weakened.

The surveys by Israeli TV stations gave Netanyahu's right-wing Likud 31 to 33 of parliament's 120 seats, versus 32 to 34 for centrist Blue and White led by former General Benny Gantz.

Neither had enough support, at first glance, for a governing coalition of 61 legislators, and Netanyahu's ally-turned-rival, former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, emerged as a likely kingmaker as head of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Netanyahu has lost, but Gantz hasn't won," said Udi Segal, a prominent Israeli television news anchor.

Without Yisrael Beitenu's projected eight to 10 seats, stalemate would ensue: Likud would have the support of only up to 57 legislators for a right-wing coalition, and Blue and White could enlist no more than 59 for a center-left government.

"We have only one option - a national, liberal, broad government comprising Israel Beitenu, Likud and Blue and White," said Lieberman, whose projected tally was double the result in April.

Dubbed "King Bibi" by his supporters, Netanyahu, 69, had already been stung by his failure to form a government after an election on April.

Looming corruption charges - he has denied any wrongdoing - have also chipped away at Netanyahu's seeming invincibility, 10 years into consecutive terms as prime minister marked by a sharp focus on security that resonated with voters.

"Unless that miraculous turnabout between the exit polls and the actual results happens - the Netanyahu magic has been broken," Anshel Pfeffer, author of a Netanyahu biography, wrote in the left-wing Haaretz daily.

ADVERTISEMENT

Addressing supporters after the exit polls, Lieberman appealed to President Reuven Rivlin to invite Netanyahu and Gantz to meet as early as Friday, even before final results are in, to explore the formation of a national unity government.

Coalition-building could be complicated: Lieberman has said he would not join an alliance that included ultra-Orthodox parties - Netanyahu's traditional partners. Gantz has ruled out participating in an administration with Netanyahu, if the Israeli leader is indicted on looming corruption charges.

SLIGHT DIFFERENCES

The two main parties' campaigns pointed to only narrow differences on many important issues: the regional struggle against Iran, the Palestinian conflict, relations with the United States and the economy.

An end to the Netanyahu era would be unlikely to bring about a significant change in policy on hotly disputed issues in the peace process with the Palestinians that collapsed five years ago.

Netanyahu has announced his intention to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinians seek statehood.

ADVERTISEMENT

But Blue and White has also said it would strengthen Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank, with the Jordan Valley as Israel's "eastern security border".

As in the election five months ago, Netanyahu's opponents, including Gantz, focused on bribery and fraud allegations against the prime minister in three corruption cases. Netanyahu is due to face a pre-trial hearing in October to argue against the charges being filed.

A combination picture shows leader of Blue and White party, Benny Gantz in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019, Avigdor Lieberman, head of Yisrael Beitenu party in Tel Aviv, Israel September 5, 2019 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Jordan Valley, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank September 15, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun, Nir Elias, Amir Cohen Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin and his wife Sara casts their votes during Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Jerusalem September 17, 2019. Heidi Levine/Pool via Reuters Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz and party co-leaders Yair Lapid, Moshe Yaalon and Gaby Ashkenazi react at the party's headquarters following the announcement of exit polls during Israel's parliamentary election in Tel Aviv, Israel September 18, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz speaks to the media at the party's headquarters following the announcement of exit polls during Israel's parliamentary election in Tel Aviv, Israel September 18, 2019. Reuters/Corinna Kern Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beitenu party looks at his watch as he speaks following the announcement of exit polls in Israel's parliamentary election at his party headquarters in Jerusalem September 17, 2019. Reuters/Oren Ben Hakoon Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz and party co-leaders Yair Lapid, Moshe Yaalon and Gaby Ashkenazi react at the party's headquarters following the announcement of exit polls during Israel's parliamentary election in Tel Aviv, Israel September 18, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen Leader of Blue and White party, Benny Gantz stands behind a voting booth as he votes in Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Co-leader of Blue and White party Moshe Yaalon arrives at the party's headquarters following the announcement of exit polls during Israel's parliamentary election in Tel Aviv, Israel September 18, 2019. Reuters/Corinna Kern Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party react to exit polls in Israel's parliamentary election at the party headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ammar Awad The results of the exit polls are shown on a screen at Benny Gantz's Blue and White party headquarters, following Israel's parliamentary election, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 17, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greets a man as he arrives with his wife Sara to vote during Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Jerusalem September 17, 2019. Heidi Levine/Pool via Reuters Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men help an elderly man cast his ballot as Israelis vote in a parliamentary election, at a polling station in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbourhood September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ammar Awad Leader of Blue and White party, Benny Gantz stands behind a voting booth as he votes in Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun A man hangs up an Israeli flag at a polling station as Israelis begin to vote in a parliamentary election in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beitenu party, casts his ballot in Israel's parliamentary election, along with his wife Ella at a polling station in the Israeli settlement of Nokdim in the occupied West Bank September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ammar Awad/File Photo A woman casts her vote in a ballot box as children watch during Israeli's parliamentary election, at a polling station in the Israeli settlement of Adora, in the occupied West Bank September 17, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen An man takes a selfie with his mobile phone as he casts his ballot in Israel's parliamentary election, at a polling station in Tel Aviv, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Corinna Kern Children stand with their relative as they place his vote in a ballot box on Israel's parliamentary election, at a polling station in Tel Aviv, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Corinna Kern A mother takes a photograph of her daughter near a ballot box as Israelis vote in a parliamentary election at a polling station in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Leader of Blue and White party, Benny Gantz and his wife Revital cast their ballots as they vote in Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun A dog stands next to it's owner behind a voting booth as Israelis vote in a parliamentary election at a polling station in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Members of the media surround leader of Blue and White party, Benny Gantz as he huddles with his family members after he voted in Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel September 17, 2019. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin stands behind a voting booth as he votes during Israel's parliamentary election at a polling station in Jerusalem September 17, 2019. Heidi Levine/Pool via Reuters

An election loss could leave him more at risk of prosecution, without the shield of parliamentary immunity that his political allies had promised to seek for him.

There is no certainty they would stand by a weakened leader without an obvious public mandate in any coalition-building.

Netanyahu portrays Gantz, 60, as inexperienced and incapable of commanding respect from world leaders such as U.S. President Donald Trump.

Before the last election, Trump gave Netanyahu a lift with U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. This time, the White House seems more preoccupied with Iran.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Trump administration plans soon to release an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that may prove a dead letter: The Palestinians have rejected it in advance as biased.

Netanyahu's open door in Washington and other world capitals, at a combustible time on Israel's borders with Syria, Gaza and Lebanon, remains a big draw domestically.

In the final hours of campaigning, Netanyahu strained every sinew, urging voters to support him to avert what he described as the "disaster" of a left-wing government.

His voice hoarse, the veteran leader took to the streets and social media, at one point using a megaphone in Jerusalem's bus station, to appeal to voters to extend his unbroken decade in power.

"There's no one else running who is worthy of being prime minister," said Alon Gal, a 53-year-old hi-tech manager. "With (Netanyahu), at least I know who I am dealing with."

In Gaza, Palestinians awaited the results of the vote.

ADVERTISEMENT

"This election affects many things in our life," said Mohamad Abdul Hay Hasaneen, a janitor in the city of Khan Younis. "There might be limited escalations after the election, but I don’t think this would result in a full war."