Israel’s Netanyahu Declares Victory In Tight Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office, Sunday, March 8, 2015. Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday night at a Tel Aviv square under the banner ... Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office, Sunday, March 8, 2015. Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday night at a Tel Aviv square under the banner "Israel wants change" and called for Netanyahu to be replaced in March 17 national elections. (AP Photo/Gali Tibbon, Pool) MORE LESS

Update: March 17, 2015, 5:00 PM

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared victory after a tight national election appeared to give him the upper hand in forming the country’s next coalition government.

In a statement released on Twitter, Netanyahu says that “against all odds” his Likud party and the nationalist camp secured a “great victory.”

Initial exit polls showed Netanyahu’s Likud Party deadlocked with the center-left Zionist Union.

But the results indicated that Netanyahu will have an easier time cobbling together a majority coalition with hard-line and religious allies.

Netanyahu said he had already begun to call potential partners.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. Avatar for xyxox xyxox says:

    Using the GOP tactic of declaring victory, then stealing it.

  2. I read reports denigrating Netanyahu for highlighting the numbers of Arab Israeli voters going to the polls to scare the electorate into rallying to his side. I don’t see much difference between what he’s done and GOP efforts in the U.S. to limit the votes of minorities through voter ID laws and other measures various state legislatures are devising.

  3. Using the GOP playbook, brought to Likud by John McLaughlin [jpost article1]

  4. Israel just became an arm of the American Right-Wing.

  5. Well, Netanyahu has already admitted that he proposed settlements just to prevent viable Palestinian lands, and that he has no intention of allowing a Palestinian state. I think its time we stop playing this charade, stop all funding to Israel, and impose trade sanctions, just as we do with other pariah states. Enough is enough.

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