Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party has scored a dramatic election victory, surging past its main rival – the centre-left Zionist Union – to win the most seats in the Knesset.



A series of exit polls released at the close of voting on Tuesday night had suggested the Zionist Union and its leader, Isaac Herzog, were neck and neck with Netanyahu.

But by Wednesday morning official results had stretched to a decisive five-seat lead for Likud, making it almost certain that Netanyahu would serve a third consecutive term as prime minister.

Herzog said he had spoken with Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory. “A few minutes ago I spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him on his achievement and wished him luck,” Herzog told reporters.

He said his leftist Zionist Union party would continue to be an alternative to Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud.

Netanyahu will still have to assemble a coalition government but his seat count means he will be in a far more commanding position as he seeks partners.

“Against all odds: a great victory for Likud,” a beaming Netanyahu told cheering supporters in a speech at party election headquarters in Tel Aviv.

He said he had spoken to leaders of other rightwing parties and urged them to form a “strong and stable” government with him without delay.

“He’s a magician, he’s a magician,” the crowd chanted referring to Netanyahu’s long reputed skills as an election campaigner.

Netanyahu announced he would be calling on potential partners almost immediately to form a government supported by nationalist and religious parties.

“The reality isn’t waiting on us. Reality isn’t taking a break. The citizens of Israel expect us to quickly put together a leadership that will work for the sake of the country’s security, economy, and society as we promised to do, and that is what I will do.”

Netanyahu tells his supporters in Tel Aviv that a rightist government should be formed. Link to video

As it emerged that Herzog had faltered at the last minute having gone into voting with a lead of up to four seats in opinion polls before Tuesday, Netanyahu and his closest allies vowed he would seek to form a rightwing government with the far-right, pro-settlement leader of the Jewish Home party, Naftali Bennett.

Netanyahu sealed the deal at the end of a fractious campaign marked by mud slinging, stunts and an appeal to the fear among Israel’s rightwingers that a defeat for him would have dire consequences for the country’s security.

In the last few days he made a direct appeal to national religious and settler votes, vowing in unequivocal terms not to allow the creation of a Palestinian state and promising to continue building in occupied east Jerusalem.

He warned in vague terms of a conspiracy by the left and foreign governments to remove him from office and, on election day, posted an inflammatory Facebook video in which he accused pro-Herzog activists of bussing in Israeli-Arab voters.

“The rule of the right wing is in danger. Arab voters are going to the polls in droves!” Netanyahu warned. “Go to the polling stations! Vote Likud!”

Most Israelis had gone to sleep on Tuesday night with three television exit polls showing the two main parties tied at around 27 seats each in the 120-seat Knesset and expecting weeks of horse-trading between the Israeli parties to try and negotiate a government.

But by early on Wednesday morning it was becoming clear that the exit polls had underestimated turnout for Likud, which had mobilised support in recent days.

Despite the sense of euphoria on the right, the result would seem to set a Netanyahu-led Israel on a collision course with both Palestinians and the international community.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat expressed those sentiments as it became clear that Netanyahu was heading for victory.

“It is clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will form the next government, and for that, we say clearly that we will go to The Hague tribunal; we will accelerate, continue and intensify,” he declared.

Supporters of Moshe Kahlon’s party, Kulanu, celebrate after the exit polls were announced on Israeli TV, in Tel Aviv. Photograph: Tsafrir Abayov/AP

Elsewhere Israel’s pugnacious rightwing foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, appeared to be one of the biggest losers, only narrowly avoiding falling below the electoral threshold.



Shortly after the exit polls were released, the Likud minister Silvan Shalom said that Netanyahu would invite Bennett – the leader of the far-right, pro-settler party Jewish Home – Lieberman, the ultra-Orthodox parties and Kahlon to join a rightwing coalition in the next two days.

“The results were a very clear yes to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Likud to carry on leading. His results were very strong and beyond all the polls taken in the last few weeks. I know very many Israelis came out to vote Likud to keep the national camp and rightwing in power and not allow the leftwing to take power,” he said.

Ahmed Tibi, who was standing on the Arab Israeli Joint List, which has brought together four parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, said: “It is disappointing that the public did not want to change the reality.” He added that the Joint List would sit down with left-leaning and centrist parties to see if there was a coalition to keep Netanyahu out of power.

For his part Herzog had promised to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians, repair ties with the US and reduce the growing gaps between rich and poor.



“Whoever wants to follow [Netanyahu’s] path of despair and disappointment will vote for him,” Herzog said after casting his vote. “But whoever wants change, hope, and really a better future for Israel, will vote the Zionist Union led by me.”