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.
‘An Uphill Battle’ – ‘Ant Man,’ ‘Lost’ Actress Reveals Struggle with Traumatic Brain Injury
Fed’s Cook doubles down on her role after SCOTUS wraps
Mayor Frey shares highly produced video speaking on Latino radio station: ‘You’re brave and you’re tough’
Breaking: Trump Announces ‘Framework’ of a Greenland Deal Has Been Reached with NATO Chief
Luigi Mangione case: If stalking and assault aren’t ‘crimes of violence,’ death penalty vanishes
Oklahoma man charged with threatening to kill ICE agents, MAGA Republicans online
Supreme Court worried letting Trump fire Lisa Cook jeopardizes Fed independence
‘Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken’ turns Davos into the Gavin Newsom show
Federal judge blocks lawmakers’ effort to force DOJ release of Epstein files
Kavanaugh warns Trump case could ‘shatter’ Federal Reserve independence in Supreme Court hearing
Watch: Scott Bessent Unleashes on Gavin Newsom at Davos, Gives Him a Painful New Nickname
CNN Panelist Issues Retraction and Apology After Going Too Far in On-Air Trump Attack
NATO chief praises Trump at Davos, says he forced Europe to ‘step up’ on defense
Vice President JD Vance to visit Minneapolis, source says, amid unrest over ICE operations
NATO Chief Tells World Leaders ‘Trump Is Right’ About Greenland
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.
‘An Uphill Battle’ – ‘Ant Man,’ ‘Lost’ Actress Reveals Struggle with Traumatic Brain Injury
Fed’s Cook doubles down on her role after SCOTUS wraps
Mayor Frey shares highly produced video speaking on Latino radio station: ‘You’re brave and you’re tough’
Breaking: Trump Announces ‘Framework’ of a Greenland Deal Has Been Reached with NATO Chief
Luigi Mangione case: If stalking and assault aren’t ‘crimes of violence,’ death penalty vanishes
Oklahoma man charged with threatening to kill ICE agents, MAGA Republicans online
Supreme Court worried letting Trump fire Lisa Cook jeopardizes Fed independence
‘Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken’ turns Davos into the Gavin Newsom show
Federal judge blocks lawmakers’ effort to force DOJ release of Epstein files
Kavanaugh warns Trump case could ‘shatter’ Federal Reserve independence in Supreme Court hearing
Watch: Scott Bessent Unleashes on Gavin Newsom at Davos, Gives Him a Painful New Nickname
CNN Panelist Issues Retraction and Apology After Going Too Far in On-Air Trump Attack
NATO chief praises Trump at Davos, says he forced Europe to ‘step up’ on defense
Vice President JD Vance to visit Minneapolis, source says, amid unrest over ICE operations
NATO Chief Tells World Leaders ‘Trump Is Right’ About Greenland
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.
