Likud Party wins 30 of the 120 parliamentary seats, while the Zionist Union wins 24
Jerusalem : Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right wing Likud party on Wednesday took a clear-cut lead over the centre-left Zionist Union in the Israeli general elections and the Palestinian presidency reacted to the surprise results by saying that there will be no peace in the Middle East without establishing a Palestinian state.
Tallying 99 percent of the ballots, results showed the Likud party had garnered 30 seats out of the overall 120 parliamentary seats, with the Zionist Union winning 24 seats. Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that he intended to form a new Israeli government within two to three weeks, Efe news agency reported.
He has already spoken to the parliamentary party leaders he considers as possible coalition partners, according to a Likud party statement issued on Wednesday morning. The prime minister spoke with party leaders Naftali Bennet of the Jewish Home party, Moshe Kahlon of Kulanu, Aryeh Deri of Shas, Avigdor Lieberman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, and Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Litzman of United Torah Judaism.
Netanyahu seeks, with the support of these parties, to achieve a majority of 67 seats in the 120-seat Knesset through a right-wing, ultra-orthodox alliance.
Zionist Union leader Yitzhak Herzog called Netanyahu on Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his victory, Xinhua news agency reported.
The election results easily enable Netanyahu to establish a government along with the Jewish Home (which won eight seats), Israel Beytenu (six seats), the ultra-orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism (15 combined). Netanyahu calls these parties his right wing “natural allies”.
Netanyahu still needs increased support set to come from Moshe Kahlon, a former Likud member who in 2014 established the Kulanu party, which got 10 seats.
Kahlon told reporters Wednesday morning he spoke with Netanyahu who seemed “serious in his intentions”.
