PM Modi congratulates Netanyahu for winning Israel’s national elections

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on his victory in the national elections in Israel and said he was looking forward to working with him to further the strategic alliance between India and Israel.

“Mazel Tov, my friend @netanyahu for your electoral success. I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to deepen the India-Israel strategic partnership,” PM Modi tweeted.

In Israel’s parliament, Netanyahu and his allies have garnered enough seats to create a majority administration. According to the news, the outcome will not only guarantee Netanyahu’s comeback but also highlight the nation’s rightward trend.

“We have received a huge vote of confidence, and we are on the verge of a very big victory,” Netanyahu told his supporters during an early morning speech at a victory rally in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was earlier congratulated by acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

Lapid informed Netanyahu that he had given the go-ahead for an orderly transition of power to all Prime Minister’s Office divisions.

“The State of Israel is above any political consideration. I wish Netanyahu luck for the sake of the people of Israel and the State of Israel,” Yair Lapid said, according to The Times of Israel.

In a historic fifth election since 2019, Israelis cast their votes as the political system of the nation has been paralysed for nearly four years. 120 people make up the parliament.

The Central Elections Committee reported that 12,495 ballots with a total vote of over 6.7 million eligible voters were cast. A total of 18,000 police officers were stationed across the nation to control traffic, stop fraud attempts, and maintain security.

With the help of a coalition made up of the far-right Jewish ultra-Orthodox party and Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, Israel’s longest-serving leader tried to retake power.

Before being overthrown by a bipartisan coalition led by the current prime minister, Yair Lapid, in June 2021, Netanyahu had been prime minister for 12 years in a row.