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Netanyahu Vows to Work Quickly to Form New Government Netanyahu Vows to Work Quickly to Form New Government
(about 4 hours later)
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel pledged on Wednesday to work quickly to form a new government after his clear-cut election victory, as Isaac Herzog, the center-left opposition leader, conceded defeat.JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel pledged on Wednesday to work quickly to form a new government after his clear-cut election victory, as Isaac Herzog, the center-left opposition leader, conceded defeat.
“Our country’s everyday reality doesn’t give us the luxury for delay,” Mr. Netanyahu of the conservative party Likud said in a statement.“Our country’s everyday reality doesn’t give us the luxury for delay,” Mr. Netanyahu of the conservative party Likud said in a statement.
“The citizens of Israel rightfully expect that we will act quickly and responsibly to establish a leadership that will work for them in areas of defense, the economy and society just as we promised in this campaign — and just like we will now set ourselves towards doing,” he added. “The citizens of Israel rightfully expect that we will act quickly and responsibly to establish a leadership that will work for them in areas of defense, the economy and society just as we promised in this campaign — and just like we will now set ourselves toward doing,” he added.
The new government will probably be made up mostly of right-wing and Orthodox parties. According to the statement, Mr. Netanyahu had already consulted overnight with the heads of the parties he expected to become coalition partners: Naftali Bennett of the pro-settlement Jewish Home; Moshe Kahlon of Kulanu, a new center-right party focused on economic issues; Avigdor Lieberman of the hard-line nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu; and the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism.The new government will probably be made up mostly of right-wing and Orthodox parties. According to the statement, Mr. Netanyahu had already consulted overnight with the heads of the parties he expected to become coalition partners: Naftali Bennett of the pro-settlement Jewish Home; Moshe Kahlon of Kulanu, a new center-right party focused on economic issues; Avigdor Lieberman of the hard-line nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu; and the leaders of the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Such a coalition would give Mr. Netanyahu a majority of 67 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or Parliament, with Likud commanding 30 of them, according to unofficial election results.Such a coalition would give Mr. Netanyahu a majority of 67 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, or Parliament, with Likud commanding 30 of them, according to unofficial election results.
The prospect of a right-wing government prompted a hostile response from the Palestinian leadership, which has been inflamed by Mr. Netanyahu’s provocative campaigning tactics, including a reversal of his support for the establishment of a Palestinian state and scaremongering about the high turnout of Israeli Arab voters.The prospect of a right-wing government prompted a hostile response from the Palestinian leadership, which has been inflamed by Mr. Netanyahu’s provocative campaigning tactics, including a reversal of his support for the establishment of a Palestinian state and scaremongering about the high turnout of Israeli Arab voters.
“The results of the Israeli elections show the success of a campaign platform based on settlements, racism, apartheid and the denial of the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people,” Saeb Erekat, the longtime chief Palestinian negotiator, said in a statement.“The results of the Israeli elections show the success of a campaign platform based on settlements, racism, apartheid and the denial of the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people,” Saeb Erekat, the longtime chief Palestinian negotiator, said in a statement.
“Such a result would not have been possible had the international community held Israel to account for its systematic violations of international law,” he added.“Such a result would not have been possible had the international community held Israel to account for its systematic violations of international law,” he added.
Expecting continued confrontation between Mr. Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, whose relations have been in a downward spiral since the breakdown of American-brokered negotiations last year, Mr. Erekat added: “Now, more than ever, the international community must act. It must rally behind Palestinian efforts to internationalize our struggle for dignity and freedom through the International Criminal Court and through all other peaceful means.”Expecting continued confrontation between Mr. Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, whose relations have been in a downward spiral since the breakdown of American-brokered negotiations last year, Mr. Erekat added: “Now, more than ever, the international community must act. It must rally behind Palestinian efforts to internationalize our struggle for dignity and freedom through the International Criminal Court and through all other peaceful means.”
The stalled peace process has exacerbated American and European frustrations with Israel.The stalled peace process has exacerbated American and European frustrations with Israel.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Mr. Netanyahu on his victory in a statement on Wednesday and said the bloc was “committed to working with the incoming Israeli government on a mutually beneficial relationship, as well as on the relaunch of the peace process.”The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, congratulated Mr. Netanyahu on his victory in a statement on Wednesday and said the bloc was “committed to working with the incoming Israeli government on a mutually beneficial relationship, as well as on the relaunch of the peace process.”
But Ms. Mogherini added: “More than ever, bold leadership is required from all to reach a comprehensive, stable and viable settlement of a conflict that has already deprived too many generations of peace and security. It’s time to turn this page.”But Ms. Mogherini added: “More than ever, bold leadership is required from all to reach a comprehensive, stable and viable settlement of a conflict that has already deprived too many generations of peace and security. It’s time to turn this page.”
Mr. Herzog, the Labor Party leader, and his center-left alliance, the Zionist Union, appeared to be headed back into the opposition.Mr. Herzog, the Labor Party leader, and his center-left alliance, the Zionist Union, appeared to be headed back into the opposition.
Speaking to reporters outside his Tel Aviv home on Wednesday morning, Mr. Herzog said he had called to congratulate Mr. Netanyahu. Given previous speculation about a possible grand unity government that would combine Likud and the Zionist Union, Mr. Herzog said it was “not the time to discuss governments and coalitions.” But he positioned his party as an “alternative” voice. “In the last few years we have proved that we know how to be a fighting opposition,” Mr. Herzog said at a news conference on Wednesday. “At this moment the only real possibility appears to be to go into the opposition,” he said, adding, “We will be a worthy alternative in all spheres to the narrow right-wing government that will be short-lived.”
“It should be clear to the Israeli citizens that the challenges are the same challenges and the problems remain the same problems,” he said.
Other Zionist Union politicians were more blunt about their party’s intentions. Shelly Yacimovich, a senior Labor and Zionist Union politician, said she had spoken with Mr. Herzog, who had clarified to her that the party would go into the opposition, according to Israel Radio.
Stav Shaffir, another of the party’s top politicians, wrote on her Facebook page, “We will serve the people from the opposition.”
Most Israelis went to bed with exit polls that inaccurately showed Likud and the Zionist Union in a close tie, with about 27 seats each, although Mr. Netanyahu appeared to have the advantage in forming a coalition.Most Israelis went to bed with exit polls that inaccurately showed Likud and the Zionist Union in a close tie, with about 27 seats each, although Mr. Netanyahu appeared to have the advantage in forming a coalition.
On Wednesday morning, Israelis woke up to very different results once the majority of the votes had been counted, with Likud winning up to 30 seats and the Zionist Union 24.On Wednesday morning, Israelis woke up to very different results once the majority of the votes had been counted, with Likud winning up to 30 seats and the Zionist Union 24.
For some, there was a feeling of status quo, as Mr. Netanyahu was re-elected to a third consecutive term, and a fourth in total, counting his first term in the 1990s.For some, there was a feeling of status quo, as Mr. Netanyahu was re-elected to a third consecutive term, and a fourth in total, counting his first term in the 1990s.
“Anyone hoping to wake up today to the dawn of a new day will wake up instead this morning to another yesterday,” Sima Kadmon, a political columnist, wrote in an article published on Wednesday in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot.“Anyone hoping to wake up today to the dawn of a new day will wake up instead this morning to another yesterday,” Sima Kadmon, a political columnist, wrote in an article published on Wednesday in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot.
“If yesterday morning there was still a feeling that there would be a shift in power and an atmosphere of change, overnight it became clear that nothing would change,” she wrote.“If yesterday morning there was still a feeling that there would be a shift in power and an atmosphere of change, overnight it became clear that nothing would change,” she wrote.
The decisive nature of Mr. Netanyahu’s comeback came as a surprise to most, since Likud had been trailing the Zionist Union by four seats in several opinion polls released on Friday, the last day that polls were allowed to be published under Israel’s election law.The decisive nature of Mr. Netanyahu’s comeback came as a surprise to most, since Likud had been trailing the Zionist Union by four seats in several opinion polls released on Friday, the last day that polls were allowed to be published under Israel’s election law.
Avi Degani, an Israeli pollster, told reporters on Wednesday that many longtime Likud supporters who had tired of Mr. Netanyahu “got scared” when they saw the last pre-election polls suggesting the Zionist Union would come out on top, and simply “came home.”Avi Degani, an Israeli pollster, told reporters on Wednesday that many longtime Likud supporters who had tired of Mr. Netanyahu “got scared” when they saw the last pre-election polls suggesting the Zionist Union would come out on top, and simply “came home.”
Mr. Degani, president of the Geocartography Knowledge Group, said that over recent months, more than 60 percent of Israeli voters had indicated that they would like to see someone replacing Mr. Netanyahu as prime minister, but that only about a third thought that person should be Mr. Herzog.Mr. Degani, president of the Geocartography Knowledge Group, said that over recent months, more than 60 percent of Israeli voters had indicated that they would like to see someone replacing Mr. Netanyahu as prime minister, but that only about a third thought that person should be Mr. Herzog.
Israel, Mr. Degani said, had a history of 10 percent to 15 percent of undecided voters making up their minds on the day of the election. He said he was sure that this was the pool from which Mr. Netanyahu had received his unexpected margin of victory.Israel, Mr. Degani said, had a history of 10 percent to 15 percent of undecided voters making up their minds on the day of the election. He said he was sure that this was the pool from which Mr. Netanyahu had received his unexpected margin of victory.
After years of decline, there was a sense of deflation and disappointment on the left.After years of decline, there was a sense of deflation and disappointment on the left.
Zehava Galon, the leader of the leftist Meretz party, which scraped through the electoral threshold to win the minimum allocation of four seats in Parliament, announced that she would resign if the party remained at four seats once the final, official results were released. Meretz won six seats in the 2013 election.Zehava Galon, the leader of the leftist Meretz party, which scraped through the electoral threshold to win the minimum allocation of four seats in Parliament, announced that she would resign if the party remained at four seats once the final, official results were released. Meretz won six seats in the 2013 election.
Mr. Herzog presented the Zionist Union’s 24 seats as an achievement and pledged to continue to lead the bloc together with Tzipi Livni, the leader of a small, centrist party and co-founder of the new alliance. Mr. Herzog said the union would be “an alternative in each and every sphere.” Mr. Herzog presented the Zionist Union’s 24 seats as an achievement and pledged to continue to lead the bloc together with Tzipi Livni, the leader of a small, centrist party and co-founder of the new alliance.
Merav Michaeli, another Zionist Union politician, wrote on Twitter: “As difficult as it is, it’s just another round. We have to raise our heads, recover and start preparing for the next round. This is our country. This is our society. We are here to work for both.”Merav Michaeli, another Zionist Union politician, wrote on Twitter: “As difficult as it is, it’s just another round. We have to raise our heads, recover and start preparing for the next round. This is our country. This is our society. We are here to work for both.”