Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared early Wednesday that his Likud party remained Israel's largest political force, according to election exit polls, and vowed to continue confronting Iran alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, even as projections showed his political bloc falling short of a parliamentary majority.
Speaking after exit polls projected Likud as the largest party in the 120-member Knesset, Netanyahu said Israel had dramatically reshaped the Middle East through military operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, crediting the country's soldiers and his government's decisions for what he described as unprecedented strategic achievements.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
"We have accomplished wonders that have changed the face of the Middle East," Netanyahu said. "We eliminated Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, Hassan Nasrallah and Ali Khamenei. We established security zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. We removed enormous threats hanging over us and struck the Iranian regime."
"Iran is weaker than ever, and Israel is stronger than ever," he said, attributing those achievements to "our steadfast soldiers and the decisions we made."
But Netanyahu stressed that Israel's military campaign was not finished, warning that Iran would continue to pose an existential threat as long as its current leadership remained in power.
"This is not over as long as this fanatical regime exists," he said. "As long as it exists, it will try to destroy us. And together with our wonderful friend, President Trump, we will work to remove this threat once and for all."
Netanyahu's remarks came as exit polls suggested his bloc had increased its parliamentary representation but remained below the 61 seats required to form a majority government in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving Israel facing another potentially prolonged round of coalition negotiations.
Netanyahu said the exit polls were only a preliminary indication of the election results and urged supporters to await the official count.
"This is only the beginning. We are still waiting for the actual results, which we will receive over the next day or two," he said. "Two things have become clear. First, unequivocally, Likud is the largest party in Israel."
He accused Israeli media outlets of deliberately understating Likud's electoral strength in preelection polling to discourage his supporters from voting.
"Remember how the propaganda channels manipulated public opinion? Likud at 18 seats, 19 seats. They knew all along it was a lie. They were simply trying to suppress you, to keep you from going to the polls," Netanyahu said, as exit polls indicated Likud finishing with 25 seats and over. "Well, the first thing that has become absolutely clear is that Likud is the largest party in Israel. There is no disputing that."
Netanyahu also claimed that the election demonstrated overwhelming support for the right among Jewish and Zionist voters, despite exit polls indicating that his bloc remained short of an overall parliamentary majority.
"The second thing that has become clear, and they tried to manipulate public opinion about this as well, is that the right-wing bloc has a clear, decisive majority among the Zionist public, among the Jewish public and among all those who support the Jewish state," he said.
"That is why I said, and I say again, that we must establish a strong national right-wing government. That is what needs to be done."
Netanyahu sharply rejected the possibility of an alternative coalition relying on Arab political parties, accusing them of opposing Israel's existence and siding with its enemies.
"We must not, absolutely must not, endanger Israel by establishing a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties, parties that oppose our very existence, that regard Hamas as a charitable organization and call our soldiers war criminals," he said.
As supporters chanted "Shame! Shame!" Netanyahu continued: "It is indeed a disgrace. And I ask, how have we reached a point where politicians and media outlets talk about this, normalize it and justify it?"
He also attacked the opposition's proposed "alliance of those who serve," a reference to political parties seeking to unite around military service and opposition to exemptions from conscription, especially for ultra-Orthodox men.
"How can you talk about an alliance of those who serve when you join forces with those who attack the people who serve — our IDF soldiers?" Netanyahu said. "These are people who not only do not serve the state, but serve the state's enemies."
Netanyahu singled out the Islamic Movement, whose southern branch is affiliated with the Arab Islamist Ra'am party and has ideological roots in the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the Joint List alliance of predominantly Arab parties and the Arab nationalist Balad party. He accused them of opposing Israel's existence as a Jewish state and siding with its enemies, warning against any coalition that would depend on their parliamentary support.
"You're talking about an alliance of those who serve with them? This must not be allowed to happen," he said. "The Zionist majority in the State of Israel, the Jewish and Zionist majority, must come to its senses and unite. Only then can we secure Israel's future."
Netanyahu thanked the millions of Israelis who supported him and his political bloc, saying they had rejected what he characterized as attempts to remove a right-wing government through politically motivated criminal investigations.
"I want to thank the millions of Israeli citizens who placed their trust in us, who placed their trust in me," he said, adding that they had "emphatically rejected the attempt to bring down a right-wing government through criminal political investigations."
Netanyahu is standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases involving allegations that he accepted lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors and sought favorable media coverage in exchange for regulatory benefits.
He denies wrongdoing and has repeatedly portrayed the proceedings as a politically motivated witch hunt orchestrated by law enforcement officials, prosecutors and political opponents to drive him from office and undermine Israel's right wing.
The prime minister also paid tribute to IDF soldiers, those wounded in the fighting and bereaved families.
"From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank our heroic soldiers, those wounded in body and mind, and embrace the bereaved families, my brothers and sisters," he said.
Returning to Iran, Netanyahu said Israel faced a unique opportunity to eliminate an existential threat, working alongside Trump.
"I want to tell you that Israel stands before a historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat from Iran once and for all," he said.
"We must not, absolutely must not, allow any extraneous considerations to divert us from this sacred mission."
Concluding his address, Netanyahu struck a defiant tone.
"Citizens of Israel, we have prevailed over our enemies, and together we will prevail over them in the future," he said.
"Fear not, Israel, fear not, for you are a young lion. The lion has roared — who will not fear? The people of Israel live, and the Eternal One of Israel does not lie. Thank you very much."