Netanyahu wins Israeli elections, to form government within weeks

Despite a troubled campaign and exit polls showing a deadlock, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a clear victory in Tuesday’s elections.

With most votes tallied early Wednesday, Netanyahu’s Likud Party appeared to have won 30 of the parliament’s 120 seats, putting Netanyahu in a position to form the next coalition government, which he said he would do within two to three weeks. His closest challenger, the center-left Zionist Union alliance led by Isaac Herzog, got 24 seats.

In an interview on election eve, Netanyahu said if he remained in office, there would be no prospect of a Palestinian state and slammed his opponents for “sticking their head in the sand” on the issue.

Netanyahu focused his campaign on security issues while his opponents promised to address Israel’s rising cost of living.

“Against all odds, we achieved a great victory for the Likud,” Netanyahu said at his election night headquarters. “I am proud of the people of Israel, who in the moment of truth knew how to distinguish between what is important and what is peripheral, and to insist on what is important.”

Herzog conceded defeat, saying he called Netanyahu to offer his congratulations.

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