Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and hard-line rival Benjamin Netanyahu both have claimed victory in Israel's parliamentary election, but official results showed a race so close it could be decided by a third candidate u2014 a rising power among the hawks.

Right-wing parties u2014 including Netanyahu's Likud Party u2014 appear to have won a clear majority of 65 seats in the 120-seat parliament, which would give Netanyahu the upper hand in forming the next government.