Netanyahu on cusp of victory after tight Israeli election results - CNN

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party appeared neck-and-neck with the centrist Blue and White party led by his former chief of staff Benny Gantz. With Israeli media reporting more than 97% of the vote counted, both sides were projected to win 35 seats each.

But based on latest tallies, Netanyahu looked to have a clearer path back to power. A Likud-led bloc could secure 65 places in the 120-strong Knesset by combining seats won by the two ultra-orthodox religious parties, which both polled well, with those of smaller right-wing parties.

A center-left bloc led by Gantz and supported by the Arab parties would only muster 55 seats.

Gantz admitted that Netanyahu held the advantage. The "odds may not seem in our favor," he said in a note to party colleagues Wednesday morning, although he insisted the results "tell an unfinished story."

Netanyahu claimed victory Tuesday night. "The right-wing bloc led by the Likud won a clear victory. I thank the citizens of Israel for the trust. I will start forming a right-wing government with our natural partners as soon as tonight," Netanyahu said.

The electoral picture could change if some of the smaller right-wing parties decided to support Gantz, a move observers say is unlikely. The votes of diplomats abroad and soldiers are yet to be counted.

If Netanyahu secures his cherished fifth term, he will become Israel's longest-serving leader in the summer, overtaking David Ben-Gurion, the country's founder.

Officially, it's up to Israel's President, Reuven Rivlin, to decide who is tasked with forming the next government. Rivlin will announce his decision after consulting with the heads of the political parties that have secured enough votes to enter the Knesset. These consultations take a few days, and the President is likely to announce his decision in about a week.

In the final days of the campaign, Netanyahu veered sharply to the right, pledging to annex West Bank settlements if re-elected, and warning his voter base that the end of his strong right-wing government would signal the beginning of a weak left-wing government.

Netanyahu fought the election in the face of looming indictments for bribery and breach of trust offenses, which he sought to portray as a witch-hunt led by left-wing elites and fed by the media. The date for a final hearing in the case is yet to be set.

At first, Netanyahu faced a diverse array of opponents. But then three former army chiefs come together with a TV news anchor-turned-politician to create the Blue and White party, named after the colors of the Israeli flag. Led by Gantz, a former head of the army under Netanyahu, Blue and White's polling numbers surged, and the election quickly became a two-horse race.

Netanyahu -- known to supporters and detractors alike as "Bibi" -- focused on burnishing his status as a global player with close ties to both the President of the United States and the President of Russia.

In a visit to Washington made by Netanyahu during the campaign, Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in defiance of the overwhelming international consensus. And in the election's closing days, on a visit to Moscow, Netanyahu was able to personally thank Vladimir Putin for Russia's key role in locating the body of an Israeli soldier who had been missing in Lebanon for nearly 37 years.

With his victory all but certain, attention will now turn to the corruption case. The Supreme Court will rule on whether Netanyahu can continue in office if he is charged.

For his part, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/10/middleeast/israel-election-results-benjamin-netanyahu-benny-gantz-intl/index.html

2019-04-10 12:01:00Z
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Netanyahu on cusp of victory after tight Israeli election results - CNN

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party appeared neck-and-neck with the centrist Blue and White party led by his former chief of staff Benny Gantz. With Israeli media reporting more than 97% of the vote counted, both sides were projected to win 35 seats each.

But based on latest tallies, Netanyahu looked to have a clearer path back to power. A Likud-led bloc could secure 65 places in the 120-strong Knesset by combining seats won by the two ultra-orthodox religious parties, which both polled well, with those of smaller right-wing parties.

A center-left bloc led by Gantz and supported by the Arab parties would only muster 55 seats.

Gantz admitted that Netanyahu held the advantage. The "odds may not seem in our favor," he said in a note to party colleagues Wednesday morning, although he insisted the results "tell an unfinished story."

Netanyahu claimed victory Tuesday night. "The right-wing bloc led by the Likud won a clear victory. I thank the citizens of Israel for the trust. I will start forming a right-wing government with our natural partners as soon as tonight," Netanyahu said.

The electoral picture could change if some of the smaller right-wing parties decided to support Gantz, a move observers say is unlikely. The votes of diplomats abroad and soldiers are yet to be counted.

If Netanyahu secures his cherished fifth term, he will become Israel's longest-serving leader in the summer, overtaking David Ben-Gurion, the country's founder.

Officially, it's up to Israel's President, Reuven Rivlin, to decide who is tasked with forming the next government. Rivlin will announce his decision after consulting with the heads of the political parties that have secured enough votes to enter the Knesset. These consultations take a few days, and the President is likely to announce his decision in about a week.

In the final days of the campaign, Netanyahu veered sharply to the right, pledging to annex West Bank settlements if re-elected, and warning his voter base that the end of his strong right-wing government would signal the beginning of a weak left-wing government.

Netanyahu fought the election in the face of looming indictments for bribery and breach of trust offenses, which he sought to portray as a witch-hunt led by left-wing elites and fed by the media. The date for a final hearing in the case is yet to be set.

At first, Netanyahu faced a diverse array of opponents. But then three former army chiefs come together with a TV news anchor-turned-politician to create the Blue and White party, named after the colors of the Israeli flag. Led by Gantz, a former head of the army under Netanyahu, Blue and White's polling numbers surged, and the election quickly became a two-horse race.

Netanyahu -- known to supporters and detractors alike as "Bibi" -- focused on burnishing his status as a global player with close ties to both the President of the United States and the President of Russia.

In a visit to Washington made by Netanyahu during the campaign, Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in defiance of the overwhelming international consensus. And in the election's closing days, on a visit to Moscow, Netanyahu was able to personally thank Vladimir Putin for Russia's key role in locating the body of an Israeli soldier who had been missing in Lebanon for nearly 37 years.

With his victory all but certain, attention will now turn to the corruption case. The Supreme Court will rule on whether Netanyahu can continue in office if he is charged.

For his part, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.

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2019-04-10 10:05:00Z
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Israel Elections Live Updates: Netanyahu Poised for Victory - The New York Times

• Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s polarizing, right-wing prime minister, was in position to win a fourth consecutive term as leader on Wednesday, with 94 percent of the votes counted. But the race was extremely tight, and his main rival, Benny Gantz, had also claimed victory, though he later tempered expectations.

• When the ballots are fully counted, it will be up to President Reuven Rivlin to choose the party leader he believes has the best chance of assembling a parliamentary majority. Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party and Mr. Gantz’s Blue and White party were running neck and neck, but a count of the broader blocs supporting each party gave Likud a clear advantage in being able to form a governing coalition.

• Regardless of the final result, the election appeared to be a grave scare for Mr. Netanyahu, 69, who has led Israel for a decade of relative security and prosperity. More than a million Israelis voted for Blue and White, a record for a new party, placing it in the position of being the main alternative to Israel’s right wing, a spot once held by the Labor Party.

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Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White party and Mr. Netanyahu’s chief rival, speaking to supporters on Tuesday night in Tel Aviv.CreditGali Tibbon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Gantz acknowledges ‘odds not in our favor’

Having claimed victory after the first wave of exit polls, only to see later results appear to hand the election to Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Gantz, 59, wrote to supporters on Wednesday morning sounding at once less bullish but still hopeful.

“Reports tell an unfinished story,” he said in a midmorning message. “Yes, odds may not seem in our favor but two things are missing: The first is certainty, as there is still a possibility of electoral shifts that will allow us to engage in various political endeavors.

“The second is, without doubt, recognition of the great hope we delivered to the Israeli people and society,” he continued. “Our voters asked for hope and we gave it to them. They wanted a different path and we carved it out for them. We will not stand down from our civil duty to represent over a million citizens who searched for an alternative.

“We have a historic achievement under our belt. We have a reason to be proud, and so we will.”

The tight nature of the race meant many Israelis went to bed on Tuesday suspended in a post-ballot twilight zone: The exit polls of the three main television channels were sufficiently disparate that both sides claimed victory.

“This is a night of tremendous victory,” Mr. Netanyahu said just after 2 a.m., at a celebration where a crowd cheered him and chanted, “Bibi, king of Israel.” “I believe that the Lord and history have given the people of Israel another opportunity, a golden opportunity to turn our country into a strong nation, among the strongest nations of the world.”

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Likud supporters attend a party event in Tel Aviv on election night.CreditDan Balilty for The New York Times

When will we get official results?

Likud and Blue and White appeared to have won at least 35 seats each in the 120-seat Parliament, and by Wednesday morning, the Central Elections Committee should release close-to-final results based on some 99 percent of the polls.

The action will then shift to the official residence of President Reuven Rivlin. He will receive a parade of party representatives over the next few days who will lobby for their choices for the next prime minister. Mr. Rivlin will then ask the candidate he thinks has the best chance of forming a government to do so.

That candidate will have 42 days to try to forge a coalition with the support of at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.

That is likely to be Mr. Netanyahu. The right-wing and religious parties were on track to win a potential majority of at least 65 seats, leaving the center-left bloc with 55.

[Mr. Netanyahu is in position to surpass the nation’s founding leader, David Ben Gurion, as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.]

“For the first time in Israel’s history the president’s role may be more than symbolic, and he may have to exercise judgment in choosing who will form the next government,” Yohnan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, wrote on Twitter.

That prospect has alarmed Mr. Netanyahu, whose relationship with Mr. Rivlin, a Likud veteran, has long been one of deep, mutual loathing. “Legally, Rivlin can give the task of forming the government to whoever he wants,” said Abraham Diskin, a professor emeritus of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In most cases, the party with the largest number of seats is given the first crack at forming a government. In 2009, Tzipi Livni’s Kadima Party won the most votes but failed to build a viable coalition. Mr. Netanyahu, whose Likud party came in second, was tasked with forming the government.

[See our guide to the Israeli elections.]

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An Arab woman casting her vote in the village of Kafir Qasim on Tuesday. Many other Israeli Arabs boycotted the elections.CreditAmir Levy/Getty Images

Arab vote headed for historic low

Early analysis showed a historically low turnout among Arab citizens of Israel, many of whom boycotted the vote out of disillusionment with Israeli politics and with their own politicians.

By nightfall Arab leaders were frantically trying to rally their supporters, mosques were broadcasting appeals from minaret loudspeakers, and a last-minute surge of participation seemed to materialize in some predominantly Arab towns, though that was not captured in exit polls.

Among Arab voters, where a boycott movement appeared to be having a strong effect, the haranguing was especially intense.

“The right is planning to crush the Arab parties, it wants to erase us off the political arena,” Mtanes Shehadeh, a spokesman for the struggling Ram-Balad party, wrote in a WhatsApp message to supporters. “This is Netanyahu’s dream.”

Just days ago, Mr. Netanyahu unexpectedly promised to begin extending Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank if re-elected. The move would probably doom a two-state solution and appeared to be a last-ditch effort to rally his right-wing base.

Mr. Gantz’s party had come out against the idea of annexing West Bank settlements, but it had been vague about allowing a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

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2019-04-10 08:46:17Z
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Pakistan PM calls for Kashmir resolution - BBC News

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan stresses the need for dialogue with India over Kashmir in an interview with the BBC's John Simpson.

The former cricketer, who became leader eight months ago, said peace with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir would be "tremendous" for the wider region.

The comments come as India prepares to vote in a general election, weeks after an upsurge of violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in Kashmir.

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2019-04-10 08:08:59Z
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Pakistan PM calls for Kashmir resolution - BBC News

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan stresses the need for dialogue with India over Kashmir in an interview with the BBC's John Simpson.

The former cricketer, who became leader eight months ago, said peace with India over the disputed territory of Kashmir would be "tremendous" for the wider region.

The comments come as India prepares to vote in a general election, weeks after an upsurge of violence between the nuclear-armed neighbours in Kashmir.

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2019-04-10 07:01:24Z
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Brexit summit: EU expected to grant UK extension with strings attached - CNBC

European leaders will decide on Wednesday whether to grant the U.K. another extension to its departure from the bloc, due to take place on Friday April 12.

The EU's 28 leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, are heading to Brussels for an emergency summit dedicated to Brexit. This after May asked the bloc for a second delay to the U.K.'s departure.

The summit begins at 17:00 London time and May will formally present her case for requesting a short delay to Brexit until June 30, asking for the option to leave if a deal is agreed by the U.K. Parliament before then.

It's widely expected that the U.K. will be granted a longer, flexible extension with conditions attached, however, according to an invitation letter sent to EU leaders by European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday.

"I believe we should also discuss an alternative, longer extension. One possibility would be a flexible extension, which would last only as long as necessary and no longer than one year," Tusk said in his letter.

He called for a longer delay to avoid "the risk of a rolling series of short extensions and emergency summits, creating new cliff-edge dates."

Conditions that the U.K. could have to abide by, Tusk noted, would include no re-opening of negotiations over the withdrawal agreement (the Brexit deal) on offer. The U.K. could leave earlier than a newly agreed departure date if a deal is in place and Tusk reiterated that the U.K. could revoke Article 50 (the departure process) at any time.

A draft EU document circulated to diplomats ahead of the emergency meeting of EU leaders proposes an extension but leaves the date blank. It also notes that an extension cannot be used to undermine the EU or to start trade talks.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told CNBC Tuesday that Germany is "well-prepared for an agreement or a Brexit without an agreement … (but) it would be better to have something that is with a deal," he told CNBC's Annette Weisbach Tuesday.

Scholz welcomed talks between May and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and said "the main thing now is to get an agreement in Parliament … I'm still a big fan of the tradition of pragmatism in Great Britain and I'm sure that this tradition will be a basis for a solution."

The U.K.'s request for an extension comes after a prolonged period of disarray in British politics over Brexit with 'Brexiteers' and 'Remainers' still sorely divided over the departure.

A majority of British lawmakers rejected May's Brexit deal three times and failed to find a majority in support of alternative options, but also rejected a departure without a deal. May has been holding cross-party talks in the hope that a compromise can be found over the deal.

Although there has been some reluctance among certain EU members (notably France) to grant the U.K. more time, with concerns the U.K. would have to take part in EU Parliamentary elections in late May but as a departing member could disrupt the EU's decision-making processes.

None the less, there is a recognition that a no-deal departure – the now infamous "cliff-edge" scenario where there is no post-EU transition period -- would be economically and politically disruptive for both the U.K. and its counterparts across the channel.

Tusk's invitation letter came after May traveled to Berlin and Paris Tuesday for talks with the German and French leaders in a bid to secure backing for a second delay to Brexit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a delay until the start of 2020 was a possibility.

Meanwhile, Downing Street said in a statement that May had sought to reassure French President Emmanuel Macron that the U.K. government was "working very hard to avoid the need for the U.K. to take part" in EU Parliamentary elections.

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2019-04-10 06:56:37Z
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Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama hospitalized with chest infection - CNN

The 83-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monk had returned to his home of Dharamsala, in the Indian Himalayas, from a meeting with youth leaders in New Delhi when he felt "some discomfort," his private secretary Tenzin Taklha told CNN.

"He was brought to Delhi for check up. The doctors said he had some sort of a chest infection. He is fine and stable. He'll be treated for two more days," the aide said.

Last month marked 60 years since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet for exile in India, after an unsuccessful revolt following the arrival of Chinese troops in Tibet saw thousands flee across the border.

Ever since, the Dalai Lama -- who is revered as a living god by millions of Tibetan Buddhists -- has made India his home. India officially calls him "(our) most esteemed and honored guest."

From his base in India, the Dalai Lama traveled the globe, becoming an icon, culturally as well as religiously. Last year, however, he decided to cut his busy schedule, citing citing age and exhaustion.

It is unclear who will succeed him when he dies, how that person will be picked or whether there will even be another Dalai Lama.

Traditionally, the title is bestowed on the highest-ranking leader in Tibetan Buddhism. It is given to those deemed to be the reincarnation of a line of revered religious teachers.

Asked in a recent interview what might happen after his death, the Dalai Lama anticipated a possible attempt by Beijing to foist a successor on Tibetan Buddhists.

"In (the) future, in case you see two Dalai Lamas come, one from here, in a free country, one is chosen by Chinese, and then nobody will trust, nobody will respect (the one chosen by China)," he said. "So that's an additional problem for the Chinese. It's possible, it can happen."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in March the "reincarnation of living Buddhas including the Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese laws and regulations and follow religious rituals and historical conventions."

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2019-04-10 05:53:00Z
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