Saeb Erekat
Saeb ErekatReuters

A senior Palestinian Authority official condemned the results of Israel’s general election Tuesday, calling them a ‘vote against peace’.

In a statement released Tuesday night, shortly after the polls closed in Israel, PA spokesman Saeb Erekat said the exit polls showed the vote had been in favor of the “status quo”.

"Israelis have voted to preserve the status quo. They have said no to peace and yes to the occupation.”

“They want us to live under a deeper apartheid system than that existed in the darkest hours of South African apartheid,” Erekat added.

Earlier on Tuesday, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas said that he and the PA leadership were closely following the developments in Israel’s 21st legislative election.

"We are following everything happening in the world and specifically at our neighbors. All we hope for is that they follow the right path to reach peace, Abbas said, according to the PA’s official WAFA outlet.

According to exit polls released Tuesday night, the center-left Blue and White party is tied with the Likud or leading it by one to four seats. But the right-wing – religious bloc leads the left-wing – Arab bloc by as much as six seats, according to one exit poll.