By: John Waage – CBN News; cbn.com
JERUSALEM, Israel – The vote counting is finished following Tuesday’s Israeli elections, and Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc won a solid 64-seat majority in the Knesset, opening the door for the nation’s longest-serving prime minister to return to office after 17 months in the opposition.
Prime Minister Yair Lapid conceded defeat and called to congratulate Netanyahu Thursday evening while assuring Israelis of an orderly transition. In a statement, Lapid said, “The State of Israel is above political considerations. I wish Netanyahu success, for the people of Israel and the State of Israel.”
Tom Nides, the US Ambassador to Israel, also called Netanyahu and said he looked forward to working with him to help maintain the “unbreakable bond” between the two countries.
The final count gave Netanyahu’s Likud Party 32 seats in the next Knesset. Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party finished second with 24 seats, followed by the Religious Zionist Party with 14 seats, and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party with 12.
cont’d…