Binyamin Netanyahu and UK counterpart David C
Binyamin Netanyahu and UK counterpart David CFlash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu congratulated newly-elected British Prime Minister David Cameron on his reelection Friday.

Cameron beat off his Labour rivals handily to secure a shock majority in a poll which until election day had been thought to be neck-and-neck between him and Opposition Leader Ed Miliband.

"Congrats to @David_Cameron on impressive victory & renewed mandate. I look forward to working with you on shared goals of peace & prosperity," Netanyahu tweeted.

With 643 of the 650 seats up for grabs already declared, the BBC is predicting Cameron's Conservatives will pick up 331 to secure a slim but sufficient majority of six.

Labour have come in second and are predicted to receive 232; leader Ed Miliband announced his resignation after the party's disappointing performance. The Liberal Democrats are expected to finish with just 8 - down from 57, prompting their leader Nick Clegg to resign as well. The Scottish National Party (SNP) will receive 56, Plaid Cymru 3, UKIP 1, the Greens 1 and others 19.

The win for Cameron will leave Israel - and most British Jews - feeling relieved. Under the Conservative leader UK-Israel relations have flourished, with record trade reported in 2014; in contrast outgoing Labour leader Ed Miliband led his party on a leftward march which saw it taking increasingly anti-Israel positions.