Netanyahu Rules Out Arab Party Support, Calls For Strong Right-Wing Government Amid Tight Contest

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out forming a government with the support of Arab parties, calling on right-wing forces to unite as the country awaits the final results of a closely contested election.

Addressing cheering supporters at Likud headquarters in Jerusalem early Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel needed a strong right-wing government and insisted that Jewish and Zionist parties must come together.

“We must put in place a strong government of the right,” Netanyahu said.

“The Jewish and Zionist majority must unite. It is out of the question to have a government that is backed by Arab parties,” he added.

Netanyahu Claims Right-Wing Bloc Has A Majority

Netanyahu claimed that his right-wing bloc had secured a “clear, decisive majority”, although the final election results were still awaited.

“We are still waiting for the true results,” he said, adding that he intended to form a “right-wing, national, strong government”.

Netanyahu did not explicitly declare victory in his post-election address, which was brief by his standards. Instead, he pointed to projections indicating that his Likud party would emerge as the largest single party.

Exit Polls Show Closely Divided Contest

The election outcome remained uncertain, with early exit polls showing a tight contest between Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition led by Gadi Eisenkot.

Channels 11 and 13 projected both camps at 51 seats each, leaving neither with a majority, while Channel 12 gave the opposition a narrow advantage.

Arab parties made gains in the election and could potentially influence the opposition’s ability to form a government. However, Eisenkot has said he would not establish a government with the backing of the minority group.

Netanyahu Sees Opportunity To Counter Iran With Trump

Alongside his efforts to form a new government, Netanyahu highlighted what he described as an opportunity to work with United States President Donald Trump to address Iran’s nuclear and security threat.

“Iran is weaker than ever, Israel is stronger than ever,” Netanyahu said in his post-election speech, according to The Times of Israel.

“Israel has a unique opportunity with our partner President Trump to forever eliminate the existential threat of Iran,” he told reporters.