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.
Intruder Storms ‘Today’ Show Set and Attacks Host
Insurance companies put on notice for stranding trans patients who want to reverse surgeries
GOP’s $95B defense package survives critical hurdle amid fiscal hawk revolt
FCC Set to Rule Against ‘The View’: Report
Navy Launches Investigation After Low Airshow Flyover Causes Chaos on the Ground
Bessent invokes assassination attempt ‘2 hours after being sworn in’ in dramatic brushback of leftist threat
Missouri teen girl shot and killed at home, and now 3 friends face charges
Dems roasted for comparing Hegseth’s testosterone initiative to ‘gender-affirming care’
Watch: Professor Who Clams He Got Fired for Crazy Pro-Abortion Antics Comes Back for Revenge and Flops Even Harder
Fox News ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: Spotlighting 250 years of Jewish contributions to America
Bon Voyage: Alleged Spousal Abuser Dem Katie Porter Announces She’s Done With Politics After California Gubernatorial Disaster
Platner Part 2? ‘Firejumper’ Running for Seat That Could Determine Who Wins House Actually Lobbyist Defending Transing Kids, Drag Shows in Libraries
‘Somebody needs to do something’: GOP senators split as Tuberville demands McConnell answers
Five takeaways from Todd Blanche hearing as Trump’s attorney general pick gains more GOP favor
Trump AG pick hangs by a thread as key GOP senators refuse to commit
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.
Intruder Storms ‘Today’ Show Set and Attacks Host
Insurance companies put on notice for stranding trans patients who want to reverse surgeries
GOP’s $95B defense package survives critical hurdle amid fiscal hawk revolt
FCC Set to Rule Against ‘The View’: Report
Navy Launches Investigation After Low Airshow Flyover Causes Chaos on the Ground
Bessent invokes assassination attempt ‘2 hours after being sworn in’ in dramatic brushback of leftist threat
Missouri teen girl shot and killed at home, and now 3 friends face charges
Dems roasted for comparing Hegseth’s testosterone initiative to ‘gender-affirming care’
Watch: Professor Who Clams He Got Fired for Crazy Pro-Abortion Antics Comes Back for Revenge and Flops Even Harder
Fox News ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: Spotlighting 250 years of Jewish contributions to America
Bon Voyage: Alleged Spousal Abuser Dem Katie Porter Announces She’s Done With Politics After California Gubernatorial Disaster
Platner Part 2? ‘Firejumper’ Running for Seat That Could Determine Who Wins House Actually Lobbyist Defending Transing Kids, Drag Shows in Libraries
‘Somebody needs to do something’: GOP senators split as Tuberville demands McConnell answers
Five takeaways from Todd Blanche hearing as Trump’s attorney general pick gains more GOP favor
Trump AG pick hangs by a thread as key GOP senators refuse to commit
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.
