Third time lucky: Netanyahu pulls off surprise win under the shadow of corruption indictment

Despite shock success, the so-called magician is not out of the woods yet, writes Bel Trew

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu smiles after first exit poll results on Monday (AP)

Just a few months ago, after the last election, Israel’s longest serving prime minister stood marooned on stage at the Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv to address a half-empty hall. There were more stale sandwiches on abandoned platters then there were audience members to eat them.

He had campaigned so hard his voice was hoarse. His vow to form a government fell as flat as the expressions on people’s faces.

The mythical coalition he promised crumbled before it was even made.

The “magician” as he is nicknamed by his supporters had, it seemed, cast his final spell.

Fast forward to March, and in the early hours of Tuesday morning Benjamin Netanyahu was a changed man. Back were the cascades of glitter from the HQ ceilings, the dramatic embraces with his wife, bouquets of helium filed balloons, and the jubilant crowds waving flags.

In an unprecedented third election in less than a year, he appeared to have broken the political stalemate crippling the country, sweeping some 36 of the Knesset’s 120 seats – four more than September’s vote – according to the initial results. His right-wing religious bloc of parties was the obvious front runner with 59 seats, just two shy of the 61 majority need to build a government.

“This is a victory against all the odds, because we stood against powerful forces,” Mr Netanyahu said, confidently grabbing both sides of the lectern.

“They already eulogised us. Our opponents said the Netanyahu era is over.”

The prime minister is not out of the woods yet. He still needs to find two or more parliamentarians to defect from the other side to form a government.

But the centre-left bloc led by his chief rival Benny Gantz, Blue and White, is trailing almost 10 seats behind him.

With an electorate who refuse to vote again, the pressure will be on the political elite to make something work.

And so, it was a stunning victory of sorts, as he said, “against all the odds”.

Since the last vote Mr Netanyahu has been formally indicted on fraud, breach of trust and bribery across three cases, charges he has vehemently dismissed.

He focused on every single group where he could get a few thousand votes. He did this despite all the charges against him. It’s incredible

Anshel Pfeffer

He is due in a court room in under two weeks.

He has been battered by accusations of attempting to shield himself from prosecution, including trying to drive through controversial immunity legislation that critics said would de-fang the judiciary.

His opponents have also accused him of dragging the country through three elections, because he refused to give up power: Blue and White agreed to form a unity government with Likud on the condition Mr Netanyahu was no longer leader, because they do not believe he can stand trial and be prime minister at the same time.

And yet, despite all this, he seemed to triumph.

Mr Gantz was keen to make the point that Mr Netanyahu’s trial disqualifies him from serving as prime minister.

A lot of the success was brilliant campaigning.

Realising what was at stake in this elections cycle, Mr Netanyahu fought for votes ruthlessly. He took Mr Gantz down in what Anshel Pfeffer, the author of biography Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu, called a “dirty smear campaign”, including releasing doctored videos.

Simultaneously he zeroed in on key constituents – Ethiopian-Israelis, Russian communities, cannabis lovers, cab drivers – to squeeze out the last few mandates.

“We were all saying Bibi is finished but he came back and regained almost everything he lost in the last election in September,” Mr Pfeffer said.

“He focused on every single group where he could get a few thousand votes. He did this despite all the charges against him. It’s incredible.”

Ahead of Monday’s election, he promised voters he would a sign a peace deal with Arab states in the Middle East and imminently annex swathes of the West Bank, an action which is popular in Israel but illegal under international law and has sparked uproar abroad.

He was perhaps bolstered by the frustration of voters who came out in their millions, in the highest turnout since 2015.

Many The Independent spoke to were furious at the political impasse, but seemed to give up on any ideas of change and instead spoke of wanting a return to Netanyahu and the set up before the merry-go-round of voting.

But now, even with a marginal edge he still has a long uphill battle to make it work.

His elections promises of annexation will likely stir more unrest with the Palestinians if they are followed through.

He will have to manage the logistics and optics of multiple court hearings.

Although vowing to fight the legal case out he may, according to critics at least, try to push through legislation granting him immunity, raising questions about the impact on the judicial system.

He also has yet to fully outline how he will juggle running a country, in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in the world, while fighting three tricky court cases.

Despite the shock win, he will need all the “wizardry” he has.