Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party has won a surprise victory in Israel’s election.
Though xxit polls had an early forecast of a dead heat، with almost all votes counted، results give Likud a clear lead over its main rival، the centre-left Zionist Union.
Netanyahu’s Likud party had won at least 29 seats in 120 seats Parliament، sweeping past the rival Zionist Union alliance، which won 24 seats، according to Yediot Ahronot newspaper on Wednesday.
Netanyahu had already claimed victory in Tuesday’s election، making it all but certain that he would form a new government and serve a fourth term، becoming Israel’s longest-serving prime minster.
“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.”
Source: BBC World News / Al Jazeera