Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory with partial results in the nation’s third general election in less than a year.
“A huge victory for Israel,” Netanyahu tweeted Monday after delivering a victory speech in which he described the election as the “biggest win” of his life.
ניצחון ענק למען ישראל ?? pic.twitter.com/HtRgwnaB2M
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) March 2, 2020
With 90% of the votes counted, Netanyahu is projected to win, but it is unclear if his Likud Party will secure the necessary seats for a majority in Parliament. As of Tuesday morning, the party’s coalition was still two seats short of a 61-seat parliamentary majority. If a majority is not reached, the prime minister will be forced to form a government by convincing rival politicians to join him.
“This is a victory against all the odds because we stood against powerful forces,” he nevertheless told a crowd of supporters. “They already eulogized us. Our opponents said the Netanyahu era is over.”
Netanyahu was indicted late last year on charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes. He was also indicted on charges of corruption, making him the first sitting Israeli prime minister ever indicted on corruption charges. Despite his denial of wrongdoing, his political opponents made the indictments a focal point of their campaigns. He is set to go to trial in two weeks.
Netanyahu’s main opponent, Benny Gantz, has refused to concede the race until all results are in.
“We need to raise our heads and wait for the final results because they could end up being no different than the race in April when we remained strong and united,” Gantz said. “Even with the results, Netanyahu will be facing three serious charges in court. If these are the actual results, it will not return the State of Israel to the proper course.”
