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Benjamin Netanyahu, a former prime minister of Israel, said on Wednesday that his right-wing, religious party was poised to achieve a big election victory. Exit polls had shown that his group would win a narrow parliamentary majority, opening the door for his return. At his campaign headquarters in Jerusalem, a beaming Netanyahu told supporters, “We have earned a great vote of confidence from the people of Israel.” He said to the jubilant gathering, “We are on the verge of a very great win.
Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges that he denies, was expected to win back the majority of the vote, according to Israeli television exit polls conducted late on Tuesday. These surveys suggested that his alliance of four parties would win 62 of the 120 seats available in the Knesset.
It won’t be until later in the week when a decision will be made.
When centrist Yair Lapid for the first time managed to bind together a flimsy coalition of liberals, rightists, and an Arab party, Netanyahu’s record 12-year uninterrupted rule came to an end in June 2021. The coalition disintegrated a year into its term in power.
Exit polls indicated that Netanyahu’s camp would win 53–54 seats, but when real results started to come in, Lapid’s group seemed to lag behind it. Lapid resisted the urge to concede and stated he would hold off until the results of the final tally. At the headquarters of his centrist There is a Future party, Lapid assured his followers, “We have no intention of stopping.” Lapid said, “We will keep fighting for Israel to remain a Jewish and democratic, liberal and progressive state.
