Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu'sReuters

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his victory in the French presidential elections.

"I congratulate Emmanuel Macron on being elected President of France. I look forward to working with President-elect Macron to confront the common challenges and seize the common opportunities facing our two democracies. One of the greatest threats facing the world today is radical Islamic terror which has struck Paris, Jerusalem and so many other cities around the world," Netanyahu said.

"France and Israel are longtime allies and I am sure that we will continue to deepen our relations," the Prime Minister concluded.

Macron defeated former National Front chairwoman Marine Le Pen in the runoff vote in France’s presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed.

The polls showed that Macron, a former member of the Socialist Party and self-proclaimed pragmatic centrist, has won roughly 65.5% of the vote, beating out immigration hawk and EU critic Le Pen by some 31%.

Pre-election polls showed Macron leading Le Pen by 20 percent or better, after the two nearly tied in the first round of voting in April.

Macron gained the support of left-wing and establishment center-right figures in France, including former presidential hopeful Francois Fillon of the Republicans.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama also gave his blessing to the En Marche! campaign with a video message endorsing the 39-year old Macron.

President Donald Trump, on the other hand, expressed support for the 48-year-old Le Pen, though he fell short of a formal endorsement.

On Sunday, following the news of Macron’s win, Trump congratulated him.

“Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!” Trump tweeted.