Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a victory speech to supporters of his Likud Party in the wee hours of Tuesday morning after his stunning, come-from-behind victory in Israel’s third successive elections.
Netanyahu came onstage singing his party song, and thanked his supporters for their hard work in securing the win.
“I remember our first victory in 1996. It was an historic victory,” Netanyahu said, in Hebrew. “But this victory, this time, is at least as sweet, if not sweeter. An even greater victory! Because it was a victory against all the odds.”
Netanyahu had trailed in polls until the final days, and still faces criminal indictment on corruption charges (which his supporters claim are baseless and politically motivated).
But voters rallied to his side for a variety of factors.
Watch: Emotional ‘Sharia Law Survivor’ Begs Schools to Keep Out Islamism, as Lib Teen Mocks Him Literally Behind His Back
Six prime ministers, nine lives: Downing Street’s ‘chief mouser’ Larry the cat outlasts another leader
NYT’s Gonna NYT: Paper Uses Father’s Day to Pretend Being Trans Can Make a Woman a ‘Father’
A timeline of Trump’s $14 million Reflecting Pool makeover
Cops could be forced into race-based guessing game after Supreme Court move, Thomas joins dissent
Judge rejects accused WHCA dinner shooter’s bid to disqualify Blanche and Pirro
Chicago’s deadly Juneteenth weekend leaves 7 dead as Trump shames Dem gov for inaction
Former Gambino associate turned New Jersey councilman accused of running loansharking ring while in office
Supreme Court reinstates conviction in 1979 Etan Patz murder
Judge Releases Surveillance Footage of Karmelo Anthony’s Murder of Austin Metcalf
NYPD Officer Jumps on Top of Vehicle and Shoots Suspect Who Hit Multiple Officers
Chicago resident living in shadows of Obama Presidential Center reveal chaos caused by years-long construction
Alan Greenspan dies at age 100
Attacks Against Christians Rise in Major European Country
District court judges weighing Trump policies face repeated slap downs by appeals courts
One may have been the indirect influence of American politics. Israeli voters watching Democrats choose Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as their frontrunner may have been convinced to stick with their tough-minded leader. Netanyahu came to power in 2009 promising to oppose pressure from then-newly-elected President Barack Obama.
Netanyahu cited his record. “Do you know why [voters] put faith in us?” he asked. “Because they know that we brought the greatest decade in the history of the State of Israel.”
He talked about the country’s economic progress — which defied the recession that gripped much of the rest of the world — saying Israel had become “a country that is good to live in,” in terms of quality of life.
He also cited his good relationships with foreign leaders — not just with President Donald Trump, but also with Muslim nations.
One supporter waved a “Trump 2020: Keep America Great” prominently at the Likud victory party.
Watch: Emotional ‘Sharia Law Survivor’ Begs Schools to Keep Out Islamism, as Lib Teen Mocks Him Literally Behind His Back
Six prime ministers, nine lives: Downing Street’s ‘chief mouser’ Larry the cat outlasts another leader
NYT’s Gonna NYT: Paper Uses Father’s Day to Pretend Being Trans Can Make a Woman a ‘Father’
A timeline of Trump’s $14 million Reflecting Pool makeover
Cops could be forced into race-based guessing game after Supreme Court move, Thomas joins dissent
Judge rejects accused WHCA dinner shooter’s bid to disqualify Blanche and Pirro
Chicago’s deadly Juneteenth weekend leaves 7 dead as Trump shames Dem gov for inaction
Former Gambino associate turned New Jersey councilman accused of running loansharking ring while in office
Supreme Court reinstates conviction in 1979 Etan Patz murder
Judge Releases Surveillance Footage of Karmelo Anthony’s Murder of Austin Metcalf
NYPD Officer Jumps on Top of Vehicle and Shoots Suspect Who Hit Multiple Officers
Chicago resident living in shadows of Obama Presidential Center reveal chaos caused by years-long construction
Alan Greenspan dies at age 100
Attacks Against Christians Rise in Major European Country
District court judges weighing Trump policies face repeated slap downs by appeals courts
Exit polls projected that Likud had won roughly 36 or 37 seats in Israel’s 120-seat Knesset, nearly enough to form a governing majority with small conservative parties. The opposition Blue and White was projected to win 33 or 33.
Though it was not clear whether Netanyahu would have enough seats to reach a coalition of 61, it was presumed that he would be able to do so — and without the help of a smaller spoiler party that had stymied him twice before.
The vote-counting process is expected to take more than 48 hours, with final results only determined by Thursday morning.
“The time has come to end the cycle of elections and to establish a government in Israel!” Netanyahu concluded.
Story cited here.
