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.
Karoline Leavitt reveals next role after leaving White House press secretary post
Alaska Republicans scramble to educate voters on suspected Dem plant as ‘ballot fatigue’ threatens race
Ford Adds Thousands of Jobs in United States as Move Away from China Continues
Report: Meghan and Harry’s Brazen Attempts – and Embarrassing Rejections – at Becoming US Political Operators
Nevada brush fire spreads to 10,500 acres as governor declares state of emergency
Christian Club Files Lawsuit After School District Blocks Volunteer Mentors
White House revs up ‘iconic’ Freedom 250 race as IndyCars prepare to unleash American muscle on DC streets
African Witchcraft, Blackmail, and American Boys: How Nigerians 6,000 Miles Away Are Killing US Teens
Florida couple allegedly held four children in tractor-trailer cab for nearly seven years
‘Barbaric’ abortion provision fuels Christian push to crack down on Dem governor
Mixed support from black voters threatens el Sayed’s Michigan Senate hopes
Trump plays nuclear poker with Kim Jong Un — but who holds the cards?
DOJ silence in major gun cases tests Second Amendment advocates’ trust in Trump
Fetterman aligns with Trump on AI push, warns China benefits from US ‘overreaction’
Bear crashes couple’s anniversary getaway, rummages through Tennessee tea shop before jumping on counter
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.
Karoline Leavitt reveals next role after leaving White House press secretary post
Alaska Republicans scramble to educate voters on suspected Dem plant as ‘ballot fatigue’ threatens race
Ford Adds Thousands of Jobs in United States as Move Away from China Continues
Report: Meghan and Harry’s Brazen Attempts – and Embarrassing Rejections – at Becoming US Political Operators
Nevada brush fire spreads to 10,500 acres as governor declares state of emergency
Christian Club Files Lawsuit After School District Blocks Volunteer Mentors
White House revs up ‘iconic’ Freedom 250 race as IndyCars prepare to unleash American muscle on DC streets
African Witchcraft, Blackmail, and American Boys: How Nigerians 6,000 Miles Away Are Killing US Teens
Florida couple allegedly held four children in tractor-trailer cab for nearly seven years
‘Barbaric’ abortion provision fuels Christian push to crack down on Dem governor
Mixed support from black voters threatens el Sayed’s Michigan Senate hopes
Trump plays nuclear poker with Kim Jong Un — but who holds the cards?
DOJ silence in major gun cases tests Second Amendment advocates’ trust in Trump
Fetterman aligns with Trump on AI push, warns China benefits from US ‘overreaction’
Bear crashes couple’s anniversary getaway, rummages through Tennessee tea shop before jumping on counter
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.
