Netanyahu wins elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has won a clear victory in Israel's Parliamentary elections, Israeli media reported, after 99 percent of the ballot boxes were counted. Netanyahu's Likud party captured at least 29 seats in Parliament, sweeping past the rival Zionist Union alliance, which won 24 seats, according to Yediot Ahronot newspaper on Wednesday. Reuters news agency reported that Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog has called Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory.

On Tuesday night, Netanyahu had already claimed victory, making it all but certain that he would form a new government and serve a fourth term.
"Against all odds we achieved a great victory for the Likud. We achieved a great victory for the national camp under the leadership of the Likud. We achieved a great victory for our people of Israel!" Netanyahu told cheering supporters at campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv.
"Now we have to build a strong and stable government," he added.
He had put security at the forefront of his campaign, arguing he is the only one capable of protecting Israel from an Iranian nuclear threat and vowing never to allow the Palestinians to establish a capital in East Jerusalem. The Palestinians vowed to step up their diplomatic campaign for statehood.
"It is clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will form the next government, so we say clearly that we will go to the International Criminal Court in the Hague and we will speed up, pursue and intensify" all diplomatic efforts, chief negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP news agency.

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Kanzler said:

Either party needs to build a coalition of 61 seats to form the government. I'm not too familiar with Israeli politics, but it doesn't seem to be over yet.

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