Netanyahu Claims Victory in Parliamentary Elections
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Photo by Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(JERUSALEM) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed victory on Tuesday night in parliamentary elections.
Exit polls on Tuesday afternoon showed tight voting figures between Netanyahu’s Likud Party and the Zionist Union Party. Nonetheless, Netanyahu took to Twitter to call the election “a great victory for the Likud” and “a great victory for our nation.”
Against all odds:a great victory for the Likud. A major victory for the people of Israel!
— בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 17, 2015
This is a great victory for our nation. I’m proud of people of Israel who in the moment of truth knew what was important.
— בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 17, 2015
Every family, soldier, citizen, Jewish or not are important to me! We will form a strong government to work for them.
— בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 17, 2015
Netanyahu and Isaac Herzog will compete for a chance to form a coalition to control the 120-seat parliament. Herzog could take the tight voting figures and negotiate with smaller parties, bringing a bid to Israel’s president to form the next government.
Earlier Tuesday, Netanyahu had made eyebrow-raising comments, calling for his supporters to turn out and vote — pointing to high turnout numbers among Arab voters as a danger for his right-wing government.
Firmer voting results should be unveiled by Thursday.
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