Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu set to win record 5th term as PM

Benjamin Netanyahu is on the verge of securing a record fifth term in office as the prime minister of Israel following the vast majority of votes counted by Wednesday.

With about 97 percent of the vote counted, both Netanyahu’s right-wing ‘Likud’ and Benny Gantz, his major rival’s ‘Blue and White,’ won 35 seats each in Israel’s 120-member Knesset, or parliament.

While the duo made victory speeches in the keenly contested election on Tuesday night — with both camps claiming their win was “clear” — the right-wing bloc managed to achieve the minimum 60 seats required to form a coalition in the Knesset.

Netanyahu advantage became very clear since his natural allies in the right wing were doing better overall, bringing a possible governing coalition’s predicted total to 65 seats.

To form a government, Netanyahu needs to gather together a 61-seat majority in the Knesset.

“It will be a right-wing government, but I will be prime minister for all,” Netanyahu told cheering supporters.

“I’m very touched that the people of Israel gave me their vote of confidence for the fifth time, and an even bigger vote of confidence than previous elections.

“I intend to be the prime minister of all citizens of Israel. Right, left, Jews, non-Jews. All of Israel’s citizens.”

It is now left for Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin to choose the leader of the party he thinks will have the best chance at forming a government based on recommendations from the heads of each of the political parties.

The president is expected to announce his decision after consulting with the heads of the political parties that have secured enough votes to enter the Knesset.

These consultations take a few days, and the president is likely to announce his decision in about a week.