Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned on Wednesday that he should be commissioned to form a new government or go for a fifth election, Israeli media reported.
Unofficial election results conducted by Israeli mass media and exit polls show that Netanyahu’s Likud party has 30 seats, making it the largest bloc.
Is Israel headed toward a fifth election? https://t.co/UH5OwMHZDY
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) March 24, 2021
However, Haaretz reported that with 90 percent of the votes counted, Netanyahu still does not have a clear path to a 61-seat majority needed to form a coalition.
In a series of tweets, Netanyahu posted that he would not save efforts to talk with all the Knesset members to form a “stable” government. “This what Israeli citizens expect from us,” he wrote, “preventing a fifth election and forming a good, stable government for Israel.”
The day after voting, Israel's political deadlock persists, with neither Netanyahu nor the bloc opposing him empowered to compose a government https://t.co/7mlrR4uxNG via @mazalm3
— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) March 24, 2021
He added:
“With this majority, we have to build a stable Israeli government. I stretch out my hand to all MKs who believe in this path; I don’t rule anybody out. I expect all who believe in our principles to act in a similar fashion.”
Netanyahu urged the right-wing parties to: “Join us in this government,” pledging to build: “A right-wing government that will look after all Israeli citizens.”
Pointing to Yesh Atid, the left-wing party led by Yair Lapid, which, according to exit polls has so far got 17 seats, Netanyahu affirmed:
“Citizens of Israel – thank you. You have bestowed a huge victory on the right-wing and the Likud party under my leadership. The Likud party is larger than the next party by a massive margin.”
הערב הבאנו את הליכוד להיות המפלגה הגדולה בישראל בפער גדול מאוד. אנחנו בקידומת 3 והמפלגה הגדולה מאחורינו בקידומת 1. זהו הפער הגדול ביותר בין שתי מפלגות מובילות בישראל בעשרות השנים האחרונות
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) March 24, 2021
With up to 90 percent of the votes counted, Netanyahu’s bloc is near 61 seats, including Yamina’s Naftali Bennett, who said he would work with anyone beneficial to Israel.
Final poll results are expected to be announced on Friday.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
