Full coverage· Politics· Updated 06:41

Netanyahu Declares Victory, Vows to Form Right-Wing Government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his Likud party the largest in Israel following the general election on Wednesday, vowing to form a strong, nationalist right-wing government. Despite exit polls and initial projections indicating his bloc might fall short of a parliamentary majority with 57 seats, Netanyahu ruled out relying on anti-Zionist Arab parties to form a coalition.

3 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 02:23

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What happened

01Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Likud the largest party following the general election on Wednesday.
02Initial projections show Netanyahu's bloc leading with 57 seats, short of the 61 seats needed for a majority.
03The opposing bloc is projected to win 47 seats, while Arab parties are projected to secure 16 seats.
04Netanyahu vowed to form a nationalist right-wing government and ruled out relying on anti-Zionist Arab parties.
05The Prime Minister pledged to work with U.S. President Donald Trump to confront the existential threat from Iran.
06U.S. President Donald Trump claimed credit for Netanyahu's success as initial election results emerged.
07Netanyahu highlighted military achievements, including the elimination of Yahya Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ali Khamenei.

With over two million votes counted, Likud led the vote, while the opposing bloc was projected to win 47 seats and Arab parties were projected to secure 16 seats. Netanyahu criticized the media and political rivals for normalizing discussions about forming a government with Arab parties, asserting that a decisive majority supports a Jewish state and his government's direction.

Addressing supporters in Jerusalem, Netanyahu claimed unprecedented strategic achievements in the Middle East, including the elimination of key figures from the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as Iranian leadership. He pledged to continue confronting Iran alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, who subsequently claimed credit for Netanyahu's electoral success.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 08:27

Latest report: Kikar HaShabbat. Read Kikar HaShabbat’s original