Benjamin Netanyahu wins record fifth term

Benjamin Netanyahu's pro right-wing campaigning has paid off. Bibi, as Netanyahu is also known as, has won a record fifth term as Prime Minister of Israel. This ties him to the current longest-serving PM of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, who served for 13 years. The race was a close one against former military chief Benny Gantz.

Netanyahu had womn 35 seats, similar to his rival Benny Gantz, but Netanyahu was better touted to form a coalition. He won the essential votes despite charges of corruption and fraud against him. He had denied all charges. “It is a night of colossal victory," the 69-year-old Netanyahu told cheering supporters in a late-night speech at Likud headquarters, while cautioning that a "long night and possibly day" lay ahead awaiting official results.

Netanyahu said he had already begun talks with prospective coalition allies. Fireworks erupted as Netanyahu and his wife Sara walked in to address the crowd gathered in front of Likud party headquarters.

The hearing on corruption and charges of fraud against Netanyahu is expected to take place in July and the decision on the final indictment some six months later. Parties that are allied to Netanyahu including Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, the Union of Right-wing Parties and Yisrael Beytenu, who together won a majority of 61 seats said that they would not want Netanyahu to quit even if he was indicted.

While campaigning, Netanyahu highlighted Trump's support in recognising Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and annexation of the disputed Golan Heights from Syria. He also pledged to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank if re-elected.