ISRAEL-ELECTION/HERZOG-MOOD Opposition leader concedes Israel election to Netanyahu

Record ID: 399352

  • Title: ISRAEL-ELECTION/HERZOG-MOOD Opposition leader concedes Israel election to Netanyahu
  • Date: 18th March 2015
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (MARCH 18, 2015) (REUTERS) HAARETZ NEWSPAPER HEADLINE READING IN HEBREW "A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT TO NETANYAHU" PEOPLE WALKING AT STREET VARIOUS OF PEOPLE READING NEWSPAPERS IN COFFEE SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) MORI AMITAY, TEL AVIV RESIDENT, SAYING: "Well, I voted for the Likud so I went to bed quite happy but I woke, I was partying when I saw the result
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7QRFUXCWFPH1T6XBKUROS3P3C
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    Israel's opposition leader, Isaac Herzog, said on Wednesday (March 18) he had spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory.
    "A few minutes ago I spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him on his achievement and wished him luck," Herzog told reporters.
    He said his Zionist Union party would continue to be an alternative to Netanyahu's right-wing Likud.
    "I would like to make it clear to the Israeli people, the challenges are the same challenges, the problems are the same problems, nothing has changed. Therefore, Zipi Livni and I will continue leading the Zionist Union with force and pride and as an alternative in each and every aspect," Herzog said.
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party won a surprise victory against the centre-left Zionist Union in Israel's election on Tuesday (March 17), coming from behind in the final few days of campaigning.
    With 99.5 percent of votes counted, Likud had won 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, comfortably defeating the Zionist Union opposition on 24 seats, Israeli media said.
    In Tel Aviv, Israelis were divided over the results.
    Mori Amitay said he was very happy with Netanyahu's win: "Well, I voted for the Likud so I went to bed quite happy but I woke, I was partying when I saw the results, it was amazing I am very happy that people of Israel decided right, and I hope that Netanyahu will create a good government and will be able to continue what he did in the past years," Amity said.
    Another resident, Judi Kolp-Rubin, talked about the challenges that Netanyahu faced during his election campaign.
    "The world was against him and the country was against him, much of the country but he did it and I think that its great," Kolp- Rubin said.
    But resident Lital Levin expressed dissatisfaction with the results.
    "I am disappointed with the election results, I was hoping that it would be different and at the moment it looks like we are going to continue with few more years of deterioration to more of racism, with wider gap between poor and rich people," Levin said.
    No party has ever won an outright majority in Israel's 67-year history, and it may be weeks before the country has a new government.
    Netanyahu will remain prime minister until a new administration is sworn in.
    After the final results are in, and following consultations with political parties, it will be up to President Reuven Rivlin to name the candidate he deems best placed to try to form a coalition, the nominee will have up to 42 days to do so.
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