Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu appears set to clinch a fifth term in office after a tightly fought election
By Loveday Morris and Loveday Morris Jerusalem bureau chief covering the Middle East Email Bio Follow Ruth Eglash Ruth Eglash Reporter covering Israel and the Palestinian territories Email Bio Follow April 10 at 4:54 AM TEL AVIV — With the vast majority of votes counted in Israeli elections by Wednesday morning, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked set to clinch a fifth term in office, outmaneuvering corruption charges and a strong challenger.
Netanyahu was also a hairbreadth ahead when it came to the total number of votes, with 13,375 ballots more. Gantz told his supporters not to lose hope on Wednesday. Speaking to his supporters in the early hours of the morning Netanayahu said he wanted to thank them “from the bottom of my heart.”Netanyahu had presented the election as a referendum on his leadership, and his beaming smile showed he believed he succeeded in winning a new mandate from his people, despite his legal challenges.
To woo more right-wing votes to his own party, he made a last minute promise to legalize settlements in the West Bank. What is certain is that Gantz, a former military chief of staff who first entered politics late last year, has put up a formidable challenge, even if he looks likely to fall at the final hurdle.“We saw a new party and a tight horse race,” he said, adding that given the legal allegations hanging over his head, Netanyahu might not be celebrating for long. “This is his fifth term but it might end up being his shortest one,” he said.
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