Veteran Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu is now on course for a record fifth term as prime minister after his main rival concedes defeat
After a dramatic finish to a tightly-fought race, former army chief Benny Gantz accepted that Netanyahu had won."We are all democratic, we all accept the decision of the nation," Gantz said.With more than 97% of the vote counted, according to Israeli media, a bloc led by Netanyahu's Likud party would secure 65 seats in the 120-strong Knesset. A center-left bloc led by Gantz's Blue and White party, supported by the Arab parties, would only muster 55 seats.
In the final days of the campaign, Netanyahu veered sharply to the right, pledging to annex West Bank settlements if re-elected, and warning his voter base that the end of his strong right-wing government would signal the beginning of a weak left-wing government.Netanyahu fought the election in the face of looming indictments for bribery and breach of trust offenses, which he sought to portray as a witch-hunt led by left-wing elites and fed by the media.
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