Benjamin Netanyahu ‘on brink of victory’, Palestinians, Arab states jittery

Jerusalem, November 2

Israel’s former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to return to power in one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel’s history, causing jitters among Palestinians and Arab neighbours who fear it could ratchet up tensions across the Middle East.

With roughly 70% of votes counted, Netanyahu’s conservative Likud and its likely religious and far-right allies were on pace to control a majority in parliament after Israel’s fifth election in less than four years.

“We are on the brink of a very big victory,” a smiling Netanyahu told cheering supporters at his Likud party election headquarters, his voice hoarse from weeks of campaigning.

His alliance with far-right firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose Religious Zionism bloc is on course to become the third-largest party, has alarmed Palestinians and allies, including the United States.

Netanyahu’s win will dismay Palestinians and some Arab states, not least because his right-wing government is likely to expand Israeli settler activity on the West Bank, but his hard line on Iran means Israel’s recently struck Gulf Arab alliances should hold firm.

“No doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme” Bassam Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, told Reuters.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the Islamist Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, said, “It is clear that the Israelis are leaning towards more extremism, which also means aggression against our people would increase.” Netanyahu, whose position appeared to have strengthened after early exit polls showed him with only a razor-thin majority, vowed to form a “stable, national government”. — Reuters

Right-wing bloc set to win big

• 70% of votes counted, Likud & far-right allies emerging as majority
• Alliance leading a bloc of four parties, taking 67 of Knesset’s 120 seats
• Netanyahu’s win will dismay Palestinians and some Arab states
• He had forged formal diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020