Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory following Israel’s fourth election in less than two years. The country’s longest serving premier, however, may again struggle to form a governing majority.
Projections based on exit polls from Israel’s three leading broadcasters also have showed Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud winning the most seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.
“A huge victory to the right-wing and the Likud (party) under my leadership,” Netanyahu wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night, Xinhua news agency reported.
He said his right-wing Likud party is “by far” the largest party in Israel, after the polls suggested it won about 31 seats.
“It is obvious that a clear majority of the citizens of Israel are right-wing and they want a stable and strong right-wing government that will take care of Israel’s economy and security,” Netanyahu added.
In a bid to form a government coalition, Netanyahu talked over the phone with leaders of three right-wing parties that already vowed to join a coalition under his leadership. Exit polls projected that they have won some 53-54 seats together.
Naftali Bennet, leader of the pro-settler Yamina party, said he also held a talk over the phone with Netanyahu.
Polls projected Yamina won about seven seats. If Bennet, a former close ally of Netanyahu, will decide to join the longtime leader’s coalition, they could form a coalition of 61 seats in the 120-seat parliament.
