Israel election: Netanyahu claims victory as his party takes lead 

With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud party has at least 29 seats in the 120 seat Knesset, according to unofficial numbers from the Israeli election committee.

Main rival Zionist Union has 24 seats, it said.

Israel’s ballots are for political parties rather than individual candidates. No party has ever won a majority, but the victory goes to the party leader most suited to put together a 61-seat majority with coalition parties.

While a new government must be negotiated through the President’s office, the results increase the ability of Netanyahu to form a majority coalition out of the 120 seats.

An optimistic Netanyahu claimed victory shortly after polls closed.

“Against all odds, we achieved this huge victory,” Netanyahu told cheering supporters. “Now we should form a strong and stable government that will be able to take care of the security, safety and welfare of each and every citizen of Israel.”

The Zionist Union hit back, accusing the Likud party of misleading. It has not conceded.

“The rightist bloc has shrunk. Everything is possible until the real results are in, when we can know which parties passed the electoral threshold and which government we can form,” it said in a statement. “All the spins and statements are premature.”

Official results are not expected until next week, with the process of building coalitions expected to take much longer.

Israel is ready for change, said Gabriel Sassoon, foreign communications adviser for the Herzog campaign.

“The fat lady has far from sung in this case. We do not know,” he said. ” The parties are neck and neck and it’s a matter of coalition negotiations and let me tell you, it’s entirely possible to form a center-left coalition at this point. Israel is tired of nine long years of Netanyahu.”

Election ballots are for political parties rather than individual candidates. Israel has a proportional representation system, meaning a coalition government is likely to be formed within its 120-seat Knesset.

Stunning turnaround

Before polls closed Tuesday, Netanyahu released a video on his Facebook page urging his supporters to vote. He suggested that leftists are bringing “huge amounts” of Israel’s Arab citizens to the polls to vote against his Likud party.

“The right regime is in danger, the Arab voters are coming in huge amounts to the polls,” Netanyahu said. “The leftists are bringing them (Arabs) in huge amounts to polls using buses. … We have an urgent wake-up call.”

Arabs make up about 20% of Israel’s population. According to the early exit poll estimates, an Arab coalition ranked as the third largest party.

Netanyahu’s statement “clearly shows he is feeling the pressure,” said Moshe Kahlon, a former Likud minister who now heads the Kulanu party.

“These remarks were inappropriate and regrettable,” Kahlon said.

But CNN’s Elise Labott said the “stunning turnaround” may have been a result of Netanyahu’s sharp turn toward the right during the final days of the campaign.

“It seems to have worked. He seems to have energized that right-wing base and now he is neck-and-neck with Isaac Herzog, even inching a little bit ahead of him,” she said.

Following the release of exit poll estimates, President Reuven Rivlin said citizens need a ruling government as soon as possible.

“The President will work with all the election bodies to start the consultations process ASAP. We hope to start as soon as Sunday,” his office said in a statement.

Source: CNN – Israel election: Netanyahu claims victory as his party takes lead

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