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: Karoline Leavitt Uses New York Times Reporter’s Past Work to Crush Latest ‘Fake News’ Story on Trump
Quadruple Murderer Kohberger Complains About Prison Bananas, Gets the Response He Deserves: ‘Deal With It’
House unanimously approves barring anyone tied to Hamas’ Oct 7 attack from entering US
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump admin ‘re-examining’ all Afghans imported after DC shooting
Indiana House Democrats and protesters fail to stop GOP redistricting effort from moving forward
Bongino defends FBI leadership amid series of negative headlines
Senate GOP trolls Democratic candidates with ‘ugly primary sweater’ merchandise
Florida man arrested in wealthy beach town over alleged TikTok school-shooting threat
‘Armed and dangerous’ inmate escapes Atlanta hospital, steals gun and SUV: police
White House Releases Trump’s MRI Results
Jill Biden’s Nightmarish Christmas Display Goes Viral as Melania Trump Unveils Classy Holiday Decor
WV gov gives update on wounded guardsman, talks future of DC mission as general says troops are grieving
Trump MRI results drop as White House confronts mounting questions over president’s health
Melania Trump debuts ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ as White House 2025 Christmas theme
Indiana GOP unveils draft of congressional map that carves up Indianapolis
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: Karoline Leavitt Uses New York Times Reporter’s Past Work to Crush Latest ‘Fake News’ Story on Trump
Quadruple Murderer Kohberger Complains About Prison Bananas, Gets the Response He Deserves: ‘Deal With It’
House unanimously approves barring anyone tied to Hamas’ Oct 7 attack from entering US
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump admin ‘re-examining’ all Afghans imported after DC shooting
Indiana House Democrats and protesters fail to stop GOP redistricting effort from moving forward
Bongino defends FBI leadership amid series of negative headlines
Senate GOP trolls Democratic candidates with ‘ugly primary sweater’ merchandise
Florida man arrested in wealthy beach town over alleged TikTok school-shooting threat
‘Armed and dangerous’ inmate escapes Atlanta hospital, steals gun and SUV: police
White House Releases Trump’s MRI Results
Jill Biden’s Nightmarish Christmas Display Goes Viral as Melania Trump Unveils Classy Holiday Decor
WV gov gives update on wounded guardsman, talks future of DC mission as general says troops are grieving
Trump MRI results drop as White House confronts mounting questions over president’s health
Melania Trump debuts ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ as White House 2025 Christmas theme
Indiana GOP unveils draft of congressional map that carves up Indianapolis
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.
