Netanyahu Soundly Defeats Chief Rival in Israeli Elections
TEL AVIV — After a bruising campaign focused on his failings, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel won a clear victory in Tuesday’s elections and seemed all but certain to form a new government and serve a fourth term, though he offended many voters and alienated allies in the process.
With 99.5 percent of the ballots counted, the YNet news site reported Wednesday morning that Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud Party had captured 29 or 30 of the 120 seats in Parliament, sweeping past his chief rival, the center-left Zionist Union alliance, which got 24 seats.
Mr. Netanyahu and his allies had seized on earlier exit polls that showed a slimmer Likud lead to create an aura of inevitability, and celebrated with singing and dancing. While his opponents vowed a fight, Israeli political analysts agreed even before most of the ballots were counted that he had the advantage, with more seats having gone to the right-leaning parties likely to support him.
It was a stunning turnabout from the last pre-election polls published Friday, which showed the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog, with a four- or five-seat lead and building momentum, and the Likud polling close to 20 seats. To bridge the gap, Mr. Netanyahu embarked on a last-minute scorched-earth campaign, promising that no Palestinian state would be established as long as he remained in office and insulting Arab citizens.
Mr. Netanyahu, who served as prime minister for three years in the 1990s and returned to office in 2009, exulted in what he called “a huge victory” and said he had spoken to the heads of all the parties “in the national camp” and urged them to help him form a government “without any further ado.”
“I am proud of the Israeli people that, in the moment of truth, knew how to separate between what’s important or what’s not and to stand up for what’s important,” he told an exuberant crowd early Wednesday morning at Likud’s election party at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds. “For the most important thing for all of us, which is real security, social economy and strong leadership.”
But it remained to be seen how his divisive — some said racist — campaign tactics would affect his ability to govern a fractured Israel.
Mr. Herzog also called the election “an incredible achievement.” He said he had formed a negotiating team and still hoped to lead “a real social government in Israel” that “aspires to peace with our neighbors.”
“The public wants a change,” he said at an election-night party in Tel Aviv, before the Likud’s large margin of victory was revealed by the actual vote count. “We will do everything in our power, given the reality, to reach this. In any case, I can tell you that there will be no decisions tonight.”
ased on the results reported on YNet, Mr. Netanyahu could form a narrow coalition of nationalist and religious parties free of the ideological divisions that stymied his last government. That was what he intended when he called early elections in December. President Reuven Rivlin, who in coming days must charge Mr. Netanyahu or Mr. Herzog with trying to forge a coalition based on his poll of party leaders’ preferences , said shortly after the polls closed that he would suggest they join forces instead.
saac Herzog and Tzipi Livni of the Zionist Union. CreditRonen Zvulun/Reuters
Yes he got in,but that does not mean the Palestinian state wont happen. In 2009 he was all for it. Pollies will say whatever they need to & have to at any given time to get the public on side or offside,which ever the case may be. The illuminati are so good at rhetoric,so we take that he wont allow it to happen, with a we will wait and see. After all what is prophesied about in the ,will come to pass, as God said it would, when God will allow it to happen. This is all part of the end times, so whether it happens when Netanyahu is in power or when he is not, it will happen. God himself does not lie. But the illuminati men and women sure do.
So what would you have said if Herzog had won, or there was a tied parliament requiring more of a coalition.
Lance it does not matter who gets in , in any country. That’s our point. The illuminati have their plans, and they will carry them out if God allows them too. And when he allows them too.Which means if their plans are what God has prophesied about, then they will come to pass, no matter who is in power. People don’t vote pollies in. Democracy is what the illuminati want us to all believe we have. Whoever they want to be in, will get in , in any country.And if they want that person outed, because they don’t follow illuminati protocol, etc, they will be outed. The illuminati is very good at using the media, to gain public outcry or public support, so it will look like that the ordinary person’s decisions or votes or wants does matter to these people. But it doesn’t at all ,and never will. Netanyahu is a freemason and part of the illuminati ,so of course he is going to be fulfilling illuminati plans. And if Herzog is part of the illuminati also, then he would follow their protocol too Simply put , there are plans for the land of Israel to be divided, and there are prophetic scriptures to do with that plan.So whatever God has said will happen , will happen ,when he allows it to happen,. And it wont matter who is in power at the time. There are Jews who are from the synagogue of satan. They are all the illuminati Jews who do not care at all for the Land of Israel, it’s rightful owners or it’s God. So for them to do wrong by all of those,to please their real god ,which is satan is a given And just because Netanyahu has come out now to say the Land of Israel wont be divided whilst he is in power, doesn’t mean he is going to stick by that. Which pollie out there ,sticks to their election promises lol. We have lived long enough, and know the illuminati well enough, to know there is so much said, that is nothing more that sweet talk, to give the itching ears of the people , exactly what they want to hear.We are so close to the end times and antichrist reign, and the Land of Israel is central to that. So any plans they have, will be fulfilled if and when God allows. We just know God will use the plans of the illuminati to bring his judgements on a sinful world, but also to save the remnant of Jews he prophesied he would, and to show himself be the only true God.And we base whats gonna happen or not happen on what God says, and not just on what illuminati men and woman say they will do or wont do. Because God is the only truthful person in the whole equation.
I don’t disagree, but there is always a big difference with certain leaders, Churchill and Chamberlain in WW2. Ronald Reagan vs Bill Clinton. Even Bush vs Obama. Policy changes, and moral stance, economics etc
Which means Bibi is better than Herzog and gives all more time to repent and consider the path we are on