Netanyahu claims victory in Israeli elections

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night claimed victory in the country's fourth elections in two years.

The announcement came fewer than two hours after exit polls on Israel's main three TV channels indicated no immediate winner in the unprecedented elections amid a prolonged political deadlock.

"A huge victory to the right-wing and the Likud (party) under my leadership," Netanyahu wrote on Twitter.

He said his right-wing Likud party is "by far" the largest party in Israel, after the polls suggested it won about 31 seats.

"It is obvious that a clear majority of the citizens of Israel are right-wing and they want a stable and strong right-wing government that will take care of Israel's economy and security," Netanyahu added.

In a bid to form a government coalition, Netanyahu talked over the phone with leaders of three right-wing parties that already vowed to join a coalition under his leadership. Exit polls projected that they have won some 53-54 seats together.

Naftali Bennet, leader of the pro-settler Yamina party, said he also held a talk over the phone with Netanyahu.

Polls projected Yamina won about seven seats. If Bennet, a former close ally of Netanyahu, will decide to join the longtime leader's coalition, they could form a coalition of 61 seats in the 120-seat parliament.

2021年3月23日，在耶路撒冷的一个投票站，以色列总理本杰明·内塔尼亚胡在投票后戴着防护面具亲吻妻子。[图片/新华社]耶路撒冷-以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡周二晚上宣布在该国两年来的第四次选举中获胜。这一宣布是在以色列三个主要电视频道的出口民调显示，在长期的政治僵局中，这场史无前例的选举没有立竿见影的赢家之后不到两个小时宣布的。内塔尼亚胡在推特上写道:“在我的领导下，右翼和利库德集团取得了巨大的胜利。”。他说，他的右翼利库德党是“目前”以色列最大的政党，此前民调显示，该党赢得了约31个席位。内塔尼亚胡补充说:“很明显，以色列大多数公民是右翼分子，他们希望有一个稳定和强大的右翼政府来照顾以色列的经济和安全。”为了组建政府联盟，内塔尼亚胡通过电话与三个右翼政党的领导人进行了交谈，这些政党已经发誓要加入他领导的联盟。出口民调显示，他们共赢得了约53-54个席位。支持定居者的亚米纳党领导人纳夫塔利·贝内特说，他还与内塔尼亚胡进行了电话交谈。民调显示，亚米纳赢得了大约7个席位。如果内塔尼亚胡的前亲密盟友贝内特决定加入这位长期领导人的联盟，他们可以在120个席位的议会中组成一个61席的联盟。