Netanyahu Returns, Secures 'General Election Victory' with Far-Right Alliance

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister in history, has successfully returned to power by allying with far-right parties. With the final victory confirmed in the Israeli general election, he is set to return to the prime minister's office after about a year and a half out of power.

On the 3rd (local time), the Israeli Election Committee announced that the right-wing bloc led by former Prime Minister Netanyahu secured 64 seats out of the 120 seats in the Knesset (parliament). This not only marks Netanyahu's comeback but also gives the right-wing parties a stable majority to form a coalition government on their own.

The seat distribution among the right-wing bloc parties is as follows: Netanyahu's Likud Party holds 32 seats, the far-right alliance 'Religious Zionist Party' has 14 seats, the ultra-Orthodox Jewish party Shas holds 11 seats, and the conservative Jewish political alliance United Torah Judaism (UTJ) has 7 seats.

On the other hand, the parties that participated in the anti-Netanyahu coalition secured only 51 seats. These include Yesh Atid led by current Prime Minister Yair Lapid with 24 seats, the National Unity Party led by Defense Minister Benny Gantz with 12 seats, the secular right-wing party Yisrael Beiteinu with 6 seats, and the Arab party Ra'am with 5 seats.

Netanyahu, who lost power in June last year due to the anti-Netanyahu coalition, will return to the prime ministership with the right-wing coalition after one and a half years. Prime Minister Lapid called Netanyahu to congratulate him, saying, "I wish Netanyahu success for the country and the people," acknowledging his defeat.

The far-right alliance Religious Zionist Party was the biggest contributor to Netanyahu's return. The Zionist Party, which advocates extreme nationalism, pursues policies such as Palestinian annexation and rejection of LGBTQ+ rights. With the help of the far-right forces, Netanyahu's comeback is expected to lead to even more extreme changes in Israel's future coalition policies regarding Palestinians and the Arab world.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.