2022 Elections

Minister Shai: Labor should have been more right-wing

Diaspora Affairs Minister says his party should have seen that the Israeli electorate was moving to the right, not focused on LGBT, feminism

Liberman:

'Smotrich will ignore Netanyahu once he's Finance Minister'

Liberman criticizes Netanyahu for considering appointing Gafni as chairman of Finance Committee and Smotrich as Finance Minister.

Labor MK acknowledges:

'It was a mistake not to unite with Meretz'

Outgoing MK Emilie Moatti criticizes Michaeli's decision not to unite with Meretz: I should've spoken up.

Likud MK promises: 'Light rail train won't operate on Shabbat'

'I'm sure Yitzhak Rabin himself would not have voted Labor, Merav Michaeli destroyed Labor,' Likud's MK Miri Regev says.

Lapid's pollster: 'I warned him Meretz wouldn't pass'

PM Lapid claimed there was no danger Meretz & Labor wouldn't pass the electoral threshold. His personal pollster says he warned otherwise.

Netanyahu to Shas chief: 'Choose whatever ministry you want'

Battles expected between Shas, Religious Zionist parties, over Finance Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry.

Netanyahu invites right-wing party heads to meetings

Meeting between MKs Benjamin Netanyahu and Itamar Ben-Gvir to take place on Monday instead of Sunday.

Senior Likud MKs to work together against Netanyahu

MKs Yisrael Katz, David Amsalem, and David Bitan plan to demand important ministries be kept within Likud.

Labor MK acknowledges: We, too, failed

MK Efrat Rayten admits the left's failure in the election is not only on Lapid but won't call on party chairwoman to resign.

This is why United Torah Judaism lost its eighth Knesset seat

Final election results show haredi UTJ party as losing one Knesset seat to rival Yisrael Beytenu. How did that happen?

Grand Rabbi of Belz sends bottle of wine to Shas chief

Congratulating party on right-wing victory, Grand Rabbi of Belz sends bottle of wine to Shas chief Aryeh Deri.

Arab MK: Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount will lead to war

'People's brains stop working when you speak about the holy sites,' MK Mansour Abbas says.

Shaked's run helped raise electoral threshold by 1,400 votes

Ayelet Shaked promised her voters she'd run to the end - but took pains to ensure the right-wing bloc would not suffer for her decision.

Will Netanyahu be able to 'hold back' right-wing parties?

Coalition partners Ben-Gvir and Smotrich will likely push for looser rules of engagement, while Shas tightens kashrut oversight.

Watch: US Jewish organizations 'furious' with election results

While leftist Jewish organizations are livid with choices made by the Israeli electorate, most world governments do not appear disturbed.

PA cabinet leader downplays Israeli elections

Mohammad Shtayyeh: The difference between the Israeli parties is the same as the difference between Pepsi-Cola and Coca-Cola.

OU congratulates Netanyahu over election results

OU leadership: We trust Netanyahu will deliver on his mandate to protect the Jewish state.

Blinken speaks to Lapid following elections in Israel

Secretary of State says he commended PM for Israel's free and fair elections and underscored US-Israel relationship.

Naftali Bennett to step down as Alternate Prime Minister

Alternate PM informs Prime Minister Yair Lapid of his intention to resign from his position in the coming days.

Merav Michaeli blames Lapid:

'He eliminated Meretz'

Labor leader reacts to election results by blaming Yesh Atid, says she does not regret not uniting with Meretz.

Two days after election:

Lapid calls Netanyahu to congratulate him on his victory

Lapid informs Netanyahu that he had instructed all branches of his office to prepare an orderly transfer of power.

Biden expected to call Netanyahu in the coming days

US President busy with midterm elections, but White House officials says it is important for Biden to open a clean slate with Netanyahu.

Analysis:

What racist laws did MK Ben Gvir propose in the 24th Knesset?

Convicted in 2007 of supporting the banned Kach movement, what has been MK Itamar Ben Gvir's record as a sitting member of Knesset?

Vote Counting Complete

Meretz out of the Knesset, right-wing loses seat to Liberman

For the first time since its establishment in 1992, Meretz will not be in the next Knesset.

US ambassador congratulates Netanyahu after election win

Ambassador Thomas Nides calls Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu after election win. Hungarian prime minister wishes Netanyahu 'Mazel Tov'

With 99% of votes counted, right-wing majority holds strong

As Israel nears end of vote count, left-wing Meretz, Arab Balad, are pushed further from electoral threshold.

Analyst:

Religious Zionists voted Religious Zionism, not National Unity

Amit Segal analyzes religious kibbutz votes, finds majority did not support National Unity - despite its Religious Zionist candidates.

Yitzhak Wasserlauf:

'A terrorist who throws a stone must be shot'

Otzma Yehudit number 2 says soldiers in battle should not have to be concerned with legal repercussions.

Rift in Otzma Yehudit

Marzel: 'We will run against Ben-Gvir in the next elections'

Right-wing activist Baruch Marzel says long-time fellow party member Itamar Ben-Gvir has become too moderate. 'He says most Arabs are okay.'

Jewish Home activists questioned on misleading election texts

The three Jewish Home activists are suspected of sending messages telling voters to vote Religious Zionism using the wrong voting slips.

Otzma Yehudit demands:

Change the rules of engagement, establish immunity for soldiers

Otzma Yehudit's Yitzhak Wasserlauf outlines his party's demands and talks about his expectations of a Ben-Gvir-run Public Security Ministry

'Youth on Fire' chair: 'The nation is stupid'

'The nation is stupid, you chose this and you'll pay,' Knesset candidate Hadar Mukhtar promises.

Police divided on Ben-Gvir as Public Security Minister

While one police commissioner said that the force needs to pray that he takes the job, others in the organization are less enthusiastic.

How do American Jews feel about 'far right' winning elections?

American Jews from different religious spectrums are asked how they feel about Smotrich and Ben-Gvir winning big in the elections.

2022 elections

'Double envelopes' being counted

Central Elections Committee begins counting votes of security forces, prisoners, diplomats serving abroad. Meanwhile, no change in blocs.

Galon on election loss:

'This is not an easy moment for me'

Galon calls on Meretz's supporters to go over the protocols of the polling stations in the hope that it would help the party.

Shaked:

'Yariv Levin told me my running is not harmful to the bloc'

MK Yoav Kisch confirms Shaked's decision not to drop out of race was coordinated with Likud.

Likud claims:

'Elections Committee preventing us from doing our duty'

Likud says Director General of the Central Elections Committee prevented it from supervising counting of so-called "double envelopes".

Senator Cruz congratulates Netanyahu in Hebrew

Texas Senator congratulates Likud chairman on his victory in the Israeli elections and concludes with a Hebrew message.

Who will be a minister in the Netanyahu government?

With a right-wing victory looking more and more assured, the struggle has begun for positions in the new government.

Watch:

Songs and dancing at yeshivas following right-wing victory

At the Alon Moreh and Tapuah yeshivas, students and staff celebrate election results, with singing and dancing.

Netanyahu bloc remains at 65 seats with 90% of vote counted

Election results continue to show victory for the right-wing bloc with time running out for Meretz, Balad to pull above electoral threshold.

After Israel's elections:

How will the next government be formed?

Ever wondered what happens after Israel's elections, and what happens if a coalition isn't formed? Here are all the answers - & a timetable.

Amb. Nides 'pleased' with high turnout in Israeli election

US Amb. to Israel says it is 'too early' to speculate on the composition of the next Israeli govt, which he looks forward to working with.

Pres. Herzog to begin preparing to assign task of forming govt.

Election results to be given to Israel's president on Tuesday, after which he will hold consultations with the elected parties.

Danny Danon to run for Speaker of the Knesset

Former Ambassador to the UN says current Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy should be replaced by a Likud MK immediately.

Gantz, Sa'ar, Eizenkot vow to go to opposition

National Unity party leaders vow to be a 'responsible and statesmanlike' opposition and prove they are fit to form an alternative government

Likud MK:

'We'll form a government that will be good for the whole nation'

'The one who helped Itamar Ben-Gvir gain power was the weak government which served over the past year-and-a-half,' MK Eli Cohen says.

Netanyahu takes victory stroll in Jerusalem park

MK Benjamin Netanyahu is spotted in Jerusalem's Sacher Park, wearing exercise clothes and surrounded by security guards.

After election defeat:

Lapid won't represent Israel at UN climate conference

With partial results of vote count showing Netanyahu poised to replace Lapid as prime minister, PM Lapid decides not to attend UN conference

Netanyahu and allies on track to reach Knesset majority

Vote counting continues. The data is updated on the website of the Central Elections Committee and presented here on Israel National News.

With Right poised to win, Lapid under fire from left-wing allies

'Lapid behaved liked a cannabilistic pig, failing to lead the Left,' claims senior left-wing party official.

Likud MK: Parties in right-wing bloc to join gov't before others

Likud's MK Yoav Kisch says party won't hold negotiations outside bloc until new gov't is formed. 'After that, whoever wants to can come.'

Ben-Gvir: I'll work for everyone - even people who don't like me

Otzma Yehudit chairman visits Ofer Ohana, one of the victims of Saturday night's terror attack in Hebron.

Journalist: 'Shaked's run brought down Meretz'

Journalist Amit Segal says Ayelet Shaked's run gave right-wing bloc three more seats, brought down Meretz.

'Meretz is on the cusp of not entering the Knesset'

Far-left party remains below the minimum threshold with 84.7% of the vote counted. 'We're right on the border of getting in.'

US Jewish leaders fret over results of Israel's election

As vote count continues, American Jewish leaders mull how to respond to the possible outcomes - including a staunchly rightist government.

Gafni at UTJ headquarters:

'We are happy we kicked out this bad government'

Degel HaTorah chairman blasts Liberman: He should respect the will of the voters and go home.

Otzma Yehudit member will be the youngest MK in the 25th Knesset

30-year-old Yitzhak Wasserlauf will become the youngest Member of Knesset when the 25th Knesset is sworn in.

National Unity minister:

'We will do everything to prevent Netanyahu from forming gov't'

Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen responds to exit polls: We will do everything we can to prevent an extremist government.