Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Regains Power Transcript

Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party are clearly the big winners of Tuesday’s election. Israel’s fourth in five years, the former leader looks on track to put together a right wing religious coalition with Ultra-Orthodox and far right extremist parties.

Today we have grown a huge worth of confidence.

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The other big winner is right wing extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, whose religious Zionism party is now Israel’s third largest. He has already said he wants to become Israel’s minister of internal security, responsible for such sensitive issues as the relations between Jews and Muslims at Jerusalem’s holy sites.

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Everyone is asking for real change. People want to walk safely down the street. Want hands of our soldiers and policemen not to be bound. Want to make a clear distinction between those who are loyal to the state of fish health, whom we have no problem with, and those who have to undermine the existence of our dear country.

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The new government’s first priority will be putting an end to Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, according to some Israeli analysts.

Netanyahu will want to pass a law which has been suggested by religious Zionism, which will in effect end his trial.

Analysts also say that Netanyahu will change Israel’s foreign policy priorities.

Netanyahu faces himself, were changing the way of looking at the Middle East, putting away the Palestinian Israeli conflict and talking about Iran and not about the Palestinians. So first of all, I think we’re going to go back into the no negotiation kind of ideas that came from Netanyahu beforehand.

The elections come as tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have increased. Palestinian officials say Netanyahu’s victory is bad news for them.

Israel is holding general elections after its election campaigns deliberately led to more killing, settlement and blockade of our people. We are aware that these elections will not lead to a partnership for peace.

Israeli analysts say the election results bringing far right parties into the government could also cause tensions with the Biden administration, which has called on Israel to restart talks with the Palestinians. Linda Gradstein for VOA News, Jerusalem.