U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wished a hearty “mazal tov” to Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in congratulations for his victory in the Knesset elections.
Netanyahu cruised to a relatively easy victory that secures him a fourth consecutive term in office, and fifth overall.
“Mazal Tov to PM @Netanyahu on his re-election, and to the people of #Israel on exercising their freedom to vote,” Pompeo tweeted as final poll results confirmed Mr. Netanyahu was well-placed to form a stable, governing coalition.
“The U.S.-Israel alliance is unbreakable. We will continue to work together to address common threats and strengthen the bond between our democracies,” Pompeo added.
President Donald Trump also congratulated Mr. Netanyahu a day earlier on his success at the ballot box.
“I’d like to congratulate Bibi Netanyahu. It looks like that race has been won by him,” Trump said.
The congratulations came in the wake of the Central Elections Committee announcement late Thursday night, with all of the votes counted, checked and rechecked, that showed Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party capturing a total of 36 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared to 35 seats for its main rival, the centrist Blue and White party. An earlier count had the two parties deadlocked.
The leaders of a host of other countries also applauded Mr. Netanyahu, with some using Twitter to make public their applause:
Although the ballot count is complete, commission head Hanan Melzer said the results were not official and still subject to review. He said final certified results are to be handed to the country’s president next Wednesday.
Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com
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