Netanyahu rallies to victory in Israel
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BENJAMIN Netanyahu yesterday swept to election victory, securing a third straight term for the Israeli leader who has deepened tensions with the Palestinians and infuriated key ally Washington.
After a closely fought campaign, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party confounded the polls to win 30 of the 120 seats in parliament against 24 for the center-left Zionist Union.
It was a victory that Netanyahu described as “against all the odds,” proving him once again to be Israel’s master of political brinkmanship.
But the prospect of a new term for the hawkish incumbent, who lurched further to the right during the campaign, is likely to cast a long shadow over Israel’s shattered relationship with the Palestinians and its strained ties with the United States.
Although the Palestinians had harbored little illusion the vote would bring about any fundamental change, they said the prospect of yet another Netanyahu government would spur them to accelerate their already-advanced diplomatic campaign for statehood.
“Israel chose the path of racism, occupation and settlement building, and did not choose the path of negotiation,” senior Palestine Liberation Organization official Yasser Abed Rabbo said.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat pledged to “speed up, pursue and intensify” all diplomatic efforts, including an imminent move to lodge a complaint against Israel for alleged war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Netanyahu has put security at the forefront of his campaign, arguing he is the only one capable of ensuring Israel is never threatened by a nuclear Iran and vowing never to allow the Palestinians to establish a capital in east Jerusalem.
In a last-minute appeal to the far right, he ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state if reelected, effectively reneging on his 2009 endorsement of a two-state solution. He also pledged to build thousands of homes for Jewish settlers in annexed Arab east Jerusalem to prevent future concessions to the Palestinians.
By contrast, Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog had pledged to resume talks with the Palestinians in a bid to end the conflict.
Netanyahu will form a government “within two to three weeks,” his party said, adding that he had already spoken with right-wing and religious party leaders whose support he will need to form a majority coalition.
Under Israeli law, the final election results must be published within eight days of the vote, but a spokesman for the Central Elections Committee said they would be out “on Thursday.”
“The president has made clear that Israel needs a government as soon as possible, and is keen to begin consulting with the parties’ representatives,” a spokesman for his office said.
In Israel, the prime minister is not the leader of the party that gains the most seats but whoever can build a coalition commanding a majority of at least 61 seats.
Netanyahu is likely to favor a right-wing coalition but for that he will need the support of Israel’s latest kingmaker — Moshe Kahlon, whose center-right Kulanu party won 10 seats.
“Netanyahu will resist efforts to establish a (unity) government, as he is most comfortable in right-wing governments,” the Jerusalem Post said.
“The man who can impose a unity government is Kahlon.”
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