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.
Breaking: Holdout Juror in Lindsay Clancy Trial Issues First Statement: ‘I Didn’t Have Any Doubts’
Juror who blocked Lindsay Clancy verdict disputes fellow jurors’ claims: report
Incumbent GOP Rep Attacks Trump for Enforcing Immigration Law in ‘Stunning’ Campaign Ad
ICE deports ex-Liberian fighter accused of torture, recruiting child soldiers
Trump’s EPA reforms are a huge boost to manufacturers, but there’s more red tape to cut: expert
Mike Huckabee calls out Macklemore on antisemitism: ‘Voice’ of ‘Jew hatred’
Hasan Piker Doubles Down on America Hate, Says US Bigger Terror Group Than Al-Qaeda
Federal Judge Refers Soros-Funded DA for Criminal Prosecution After Finding ‘Credible Evidence’ He ‘Violated the Law’
Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare overbilled Medicaid by $47 million, federal audit finds
Trump DOJ official downplays antitrust concerns about companies coordinating AI safety development
Unearthed clip exposes what ‘DEI Queen’ in razor-thin House race thought of ‘Back the Blue’ law
Hasan Piker gives Democrats their latest headache after calling US ‘worse’ than al Qaeda
House GOP lawmaker under fire by fellow Republicans after ad bashing Trump on immigration
WATCH: Gaffe-prone Seattle socialist mayor cuts off police chief in yet another awkward interview
Texas Air National Guard pilot ejects safely before F-16 crash in Michigan
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.
Breaking: Holdout Juror in Lindsay Clancy Trial Issues First Statement: ‘I Didn’t Have Any Doubts’
Juror who blocked Lindsay Clancy verdict disputes fellow jurors’ claims: report
Incumbent GOP Rep Attacks Trump for Enforcing Immigration Law in ‘Stunning’ Campaign Ad
ICE deports ex-Liberian fighter accused of torture, recruiting child soldiers
Trump’s EPA reforms are a huge boost to manufacturers, but there’s more red tape to cut: expert
Mike Huckabee calls out Macklemore on antisemitism: ‘Voice’ of ‘Jew hatred’
Hasan Piker Doubles Down on America Hate, Says US Bigger Terror Group Than Al-Qaeda
Federal Judge Refers Soros-Funded DA for Criminal Prosecution After Finding ‘Credible Evidence’ He ‘Violated the Law’
Minnesota-based UnitedHealthcare overbilled Medicaid by $47 million, federal audit finds
Trump DOJ official downplays antitrust concerns about companies coordinating AI safety development
Unearthed clip exposes what ‘DEI Queen’ in razor-thin House race thought of ‘Back the Blue’ law
Hasan Piker gives Democrats their latest headache after calling US ‘worse’ than al Qaeda
House GOP lawmaker under fire by fellow Republicans after ad bashing Trump on immigration
WATCH: Gaffe-prone Seattle socialist mayor cuts off police chief in yet another awkward interview
Texas Air National Guard pilot ejects safely before F-16 crash in Michigan
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.
