Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu declared victory in Tuesday's parliamentary election as he addressed supporters in a speech early Wednesday, despite exit polls that predicted his party narrowly coming second to the ruling Kadima Party.
However, the exit polls also indicate that Likud is in a better position than Kadima to lead a coalition because of a strong showing by other nationalist parties.
"I've spoken to party leaders," Netanyahu said, "and we have agreed to begin negotiations on forming a new government as soon as tomorrow."
"Even if exit polls are accurate, there is no doubt regarding the only conclusion they point to: the Israeli people have said their word in a clear fashion, the nationalist bloc, led by Likud, won a clear victory," Netanyahu added.
"The question is not what the polls say. The question is what the reality is. From this day on, the right wing bloc rises to an absolute majority in the Knesset," the Likud chair went on to say.
"There is no doubt regarding our own movement's meteoric rise. In the last Knesset we had only 12 seats, 10% of the Knesset. We have more than doubled our power and grown more than any other party," Netanyahu continued.
"The rise of the right-wing camp and the Likud can only mean one thing, the people want change," Netanyahu exclaimed. "The people want one path. Our path won and it will lead the people."
