Netanyahu set to declare narrow victory in Israeli election - party spokesman

[webfact]

Netanyahu set to declare narrow victory in Israeli election - party spokesman

By Jeffrey Heller

 

FILE PHOTO: A combination photo shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem February 9, 2020 and Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White in Tel Aviv, Israel February 17, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun, Amir Cohen/File Photo

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to declare victory in Israel's election on Monday, a spokesman for his party said, after television exit polls showed him just a seat short of a governing majority in parliament.

 

A win for Netanyahu, after inconclusive ballots in April and September, would be testimony to the political durability of Israel's longest-serving leader, who fought the latest campaign under the shadow of a looming corruption trial.

 

It would also pave the way for Netanyahu to make good on his pledge to annex, after the election, Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, and the region's Jordan Valley, under a peace plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump.

 

Palestinians have rejected the proposal, saying it was killing their dream of establishing a viable state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

 

A spokesman for Netanyahu's right-wing Likud said the prime minister would deliver a victory speech at the party's election headquarters in Tel Aviv at 2145 GMT.

 

Israel's three main TV channels projected Likud and like-minded parties would capture 60 of parliament's 120-seats, just one short of a majority.

 

"A giant victory for Israel," Netanyahu, 70, tweeted after the projections were released.

 

Israelis head to the polls on Monday for their third election in a year - hoping to break the country's political deadlock. David Doyle reports.

 

During the campaign, right-wing and religious parties had pledged to join a Likud-led coalition government. But if the 60-seat projection held true, after actual results on Tuesday, Netanyahu would still have to enlist other allies in coalition negotiations.

 

A Likud spokesman said that after the exit polls were released Netanyahu telephoned the leaders of parties that have already partnered with Likud and "they agreed to form a strong, national government in Israel soon."

 

There was no immediate reaction from Netanyahu's main challenger, former armed forces chief Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party.

 

The exit polls showed Likud taking between 36 and 37 parliamentary seats to 32 or 33 for Blue and White - a gap that would make it far harder for Gantz to find a path to putting together a governing coalition.

 

SECURITY FIRST

Netanyahu campaigned vigorously on his strongman "security-first" platform that Israeli voters have become familiar with over decades, and his loyal base has stood firmly behind him throughout, seemingly unfazed by his imminent trial.

 

"While we need to wait for the final results, there is no doubt that Prime Minister Netanyahu has won a significant political mandate from the Israeli people," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute.

 

"Israelis voiced their support for the man they perceive to have brought them security and prosperity," he said.

 

Netanyahu's re-election bid has been complicated since the last election by his indictment on charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud over allegations he granted state favours worth millions of dollars to Israeli media barons in return for favourable press coverage and that he wrongfully received gifts.

 

The first trial of a sitting prime minister in Israel is due to begin on March 17. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.

 

During the campaign, Gantz termed Netanyahu "the defendant" and has accused him of seeking to retain power to promote legislation that would bar authorities from putting a serving prime minister on trial.

 

Netanyahu has portrayed Gantz, 60, as a "coward", saying he would need Arab politicians' support in parliament to form a government and that they would tie his hands.

 

In the final days of the campaign, opinion polls had forecast further deadlock, but turnout was high despite concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus.

 

Voters under home-quarantine, such as those who have recently travelled back to Israel from coronavirus hot spots, voted at special polling stations wearing face masks and gloves.

 

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Ari Rabinovitch, Editing by Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-03

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[GalaxyMan]

Such a shame for Israel that a racist, corrupt scum like Bibi can continue his misrule. ????

[nobodysfriend]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

there is no doubt that Prime Minister Netanyahu has won a significant political mandate from the Israeli people,

Oh No , not again ... anyway , that he won again means that about 50% of the Israeli voters like his racist ideas ...

[stevenl]

Sad news for the long term future of Israel and sad news for the world.

[marko kok prong]

The guy gives me the creeps.

[Jingthing]

Hope for someone at least a little better dashed again.

[Sujo]

Why isnt he and his wife in jail yet.

[toast1]

Wow

Look at these people getting upset and angry about the Jewish country.

 

They don't get angry of upset about anything else in the middle east in non-Jewish countries. 

Millions slaughtered, oppressed or made refugees, they don't care.

 

I don't see any outrage about millions being killed in Syria next door. 

 

But mention Jewish Israel, and suddenly they are all outraged, morally hurt heroes fighting for justice.

 

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, toast1 said:

Wow

Look at these people getting upset and angry about the Jewish country.

 

They don't get angry of upset about anything else in the middle east in non-Jewish countries. 

Millions slaughtered, oppressed or made refugees, they don't care.

 

I don't see any outrage about millions being killed in Syria next door. 

 

But mention Jewish Israel, and suddenly they are all outraged, morally hurt heroes fighting for justice.

 

 

 

 

You're absolutely right but it's also true that Bibi is no prize.

[toast1]

Perhaps he is a terrible person, as our moral campaigners are so passionate to point out.

 

But compared to the collection of warlords, dictators and lunatics running 98% of the Middle East he's a saint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2020 by toast1

[AnnaBanana]

3 hours ago, toast1 said:

Wow

Look at these people getting upset and angry about the Jewish country.

 

They don't get angry of upset about anything else in the middle east in non-Jewish countries. 

Millions slaughtered, oppressed or made refugees, they don't care.

 

I don't see any outrage about millions being killed in Syria next door. 

 

But mention Jewish Israel, and suddenly they are all outraged, morally hurt heroes fighting for justice.

 

 

 

 

Maybe they hold Israel to a higher standard.

The Jews are the last people in the world  that would be expected to do unto others what was so recently and horribly done to them.

[toast1]

Maybe they've just got a thing about the Jewish state. 
Otherwise, why ignore 98%.

 

Non-Jews live well in Israel. Try being a Christian in Saudi. You can be arrested for praying in your own home.

 

I'm sure Israel does many bad things, maybe Netanyahu is a terrible man.

But compared to what's going on in the other 98%, they are saints.