TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party scored a resounding victory in the country's election, final results showed Wednesday, a stunning turnaround after a tight race that had put his lengthy rule in jeopardy. 
  
 With nearly all the votes counted, Likud appeared to have earned 30 out of parliament's 120 seats and was in a position to be able to build a coalition government with its right-wing and religious allies with relative ease. 
  
 The election was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu, who has governed the country for the past six years. Recent opinion polls indicated he was in trouble, giving chief rival Isaac Herzog of the opposition Zionist Union a slight lead. Exit polls showed the two sides deadlocked but once the actual results came pouring in early Wednesday, Likud soared forward. Zionist Union wound up with just 24 seats. 
  
 Even before the final results were known, Netanyahu declared victory and pledged to form a new government quickly. 
  
 "Against all odds, we achieved a great victory for the Likud," Netanyahu told supporters at election night headquarters. "I am proud of the people of Israel, who in the moment of truth knew how to distinguish between what is important and what is peripheral, and to insist on what is important." 
  
 Netanyahu focused his campaign on security issues, while his opponents instead pledged to address the country's high cost of living and accused the leader of being out of touch with everyday people. 
  
 Netanyahu's return to power for a fourth term likely spells trouble for Mideast peace efforts and could further escalate tensions with the United States. 
  
 Netanyahu, who already has a testy relationship with President Barack Obama, took a sharp turn to the right in the final days of the campaign, staking out a series of hard-line positions that will put him at odds with the international community. 
  
 In a dramatic policy reversal, he said he now opposes the creation of a Palestinian state — a key policy goal of the White House and the international community. He also promised to expand construction in Jewish areas of east Jerusalem, the section of the city claimed by the Palestinians as their capital. 
  
 Netanyahu infuriated the White House early this month when he delivered a speech to the U.S. Congress criticizing an emerging nuclear deal with Iran. The speech was arranged with Republican leaders and not coordinated with the White House ahead of time. 
  
 In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama was confident strong U.S.-Israeli ties would endure far beyond the election regardless of the victor. 
  
 Netanyahu will still need the support of Moshe Kahlon, whose upstart Kulanu party captured 10 seats and whose campaign focused almost entirely on bread-and-butter economic issues. He is expected to become the country's next finance minister. ||||| JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Wednesday to form a new governing coalition quickly after an upset election victory that was built on a shift to the right and drew an immediate rebuke from the White House. 
  
 In the final days of campaigning, Netanyahu abandoned a commitment to negotiate a Palestinian state - the basis of more than two decades of Middle East peacemaking - and promised to go on building settlements on occupied land. Such policies defy the core vision of a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict embraced by President Barack Obama and his Republican and Democratic predecessors. 
  
 With nearly all votes counted, Netanyahu’s Likud had won 29 or 30 seats in the 120-member Knesset, comfortably defeating the center-left Zionist Union opposition on 24 seats. A united list of Israeli Arab parties came third. 
  
 The result was a dramatic and unexpected victory for Netanyahu - the last opinion polls four days before the vote had shown Likud trailing the Zionist Union by four seats. 
  
 Although Netanyahu must still put together a coalition, his victory all but guarantees that Israel’s president will give him the first opportunity to form a government, putting him course to become the longest-serving leader in the country’s history. 
  
 “I am moved by the responsibility Israel has given me and I appreciate the decision by Israel’s citizens to elect me and my friends, against all odds and in the face of powerful forces,” Netanyahu said during a traditional thanksgiving visit to Judaism’s holy Western Wall in Jerusalem. 
  
 But the promises he made to ultranationalist voters in the final days of the campaign could have wide consequences, including deepening rifts with the United States and Europe and potentially emboldening Palestinians to take unilateral steps toward statehood in the absence of any prospect of talks. 
  
 The White House scolded Netanyahu for abandoning his commitment to negotiate for a Palestinian state and for what it called “divisive” campaign rhetoric toward Israel’s minority Arab voters. 
  
 Washington signaled that its deep disagreements with Netanyahu will persist on issues ranging from Middle East peacemaking to Iran nuclear diplomacy. 
  
 Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator in peace talks that collapsed last year, lamented “the success of a campaign based on settlements, racism, apartheid and the denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people”. 
  
 Likud said Netanyahu intended to form a new government within weeks, with negotiations already under way with the far-right pro-settler Jewish Home party led by Naftali Bennett, the centrist Kulanu party and ultra-Orthodox groups. 
  
 The critical party to get on side will be Kulanu, led by former Likud member and communications minister Moshe Kahlon, who won 10 seats, making him a kingmaker given his ability to side with either Netanyahu or the center-left opposition. 
  
 “The citizens of Israel expect us to quickly put together a leadership that will work for them regarding security, economy and society as we committed to do - and we will do so,” Netanyahu said. 
  
 Netanyahu’s deputies were already holding preliminary talks with potential coalition partners, Israeli media said. 
  
 President Reuven Rivlin said he would launch consultations with party leaders on Sunday to try and form a new government as soon as possible. 
  
 Isaac Herzog, leader of the Zionist Union, conceded defeat and congratulated Netanyahu. Herzog said he would not seek to join a Netanyahu-led government. 
  
 The Tel Aviv stock market was largely unmoved by Netanyahu’s victory, with the benchmark Tel Aviv 100 index up marginally at mid-day. 
  
 “The market’s indifference to the results apparently stems from its belief that the coalition that will be formed will be more stable than its predecessor,” said Idan Azoulay, chief investment officer at the Epsilon brokerage. 
  
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to supporters at the party headquarters in Tel Aviv March 18, 2015. REUTERS/Amir Cohen 
  
 HARD ROAD AHEAD 
  
 While Likud is the largest party, the process of forming a coalition could be challenging, with potential political partners certain to raise a variety of demands. 
  
 With the backing of right-wing and religious factions, and with Kahlon also on board, Netanyahu could end up with 67 parliamentary seats, a commanding majority. 
  
 If Netanyahu follows through on his pledges it would put him on a collision course with the Obama administration and the European Union, which has been weighing steps including trade measures to sanction Israel for its settlements policy. 
  
 The White House was already angry with him for addressing the U.S. Congress at the invitation of Republican lawmakers in a bid to scupper U.S. nuclear talks with Iran. 
  
 Obama was not quick to congratulate Netanyahu on his victory, and the White House said such a call would be made in the coming days. 
  
 But White House spokesman Josh Earnest was critical of some of Netanyahu’s comments in the final days of his campaign. 
  
 Earnest told reporters the administration would evaluate its approach on the Middle East peace process following Netanyahu’s statement that there would be no Palestinian state on his watch. 
  
 During much of the campaign, Netanyahu had focused on security issues and the threat from Iran’s nuclear program, a message that appeared to gain little traction with voters. 
  
 The Zionist Union emphasized socio-economic issues, including the high cost of living in Israel, and its message had seemed to be generating much more momentum. 
  
 Slideshow (14 Images) 
  
 But Netanyahu’s move to the right, playing up fears of the spread of Islamist groups, promising no concessions to the Palestinians and raising alarm about growing support for Arab-Israeli parties, looks to have spurred his base into action. 
  
 For the Palestinians, the results are a deep concern, raising the prospect of more settlement expansion on land they want for their own state in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as in Gaza. 
  
 Netanyahu’s victory also raises questions about what happens on Iran, with Obama determined to pursue negotiations toward an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program and the Israeli leader determined to foil what he has termed a “very bad deal”. 
  
 The Palestinians may quickly create problems for Netanyahu as they join the International Criminal Court on April 1 and intend to pursue war crimes charges against Israel over its occupation of the West Bank and last year’s war in Gaza. ||||| JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu was poised to return to power. But there was a cloud over his apparent turnaround, the result of an increasingly shrill campaign that raised questions about his ability to heal Israel’s internal wounds or better its standing in the world. 
  
 He said there would be no Palestinian state under his watch. 
  
 He railed against Israeli Arabs — because they had gone out to vote. 
  
 From the capitals of Europe, to Washington, to the West Bank, to the streets of Israel, even while his critics said Mr. Netanyahu had reaffirmed his reputation as a cynical, calculating politician, it appeared that his approach succeeded in drawing votes from other right-leaning parties. 
  
 But along the way he angered the president of the United States with a speech to Congress and infuriated European leaders eager to see the peace process move ahead to create a Palestinian state. |||||

Write a summary.
– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party scored a resounding victory in the country's election, final results showed today, a stunning turnaround after a tight race that had put his lengthy rule in jeopardy. The numbers: With nearly all the votes counted, Likud appeared to have earned 30 out of the parliament's 120 seats and was in a position to be able to build a coalition government with its right-wing and religious allies with relative ease. Exit polls were off: Recent opinion polls had indicated Netanyahu was in trouble, giving chief rival Isaac Herzog of Zionist Union a slight lead. Exit polls showed the two sides deadlocked, but once the actual results came pouring in, Likud soared and Zionist Union wound up with just 24 seats. From his mouth: "Against all odds, we achieved a great victory," Netanyahu told supporters before the final results were in. "I am proud of the people of Israel, who in the moment of truth knew how to distinguish between what is important and what is peripheral, and to insist on what is important." What to expect: He staked out a series of hard-line positions in the final days of the campaign—notably declaring there would be no Palestinian state on his watch—and the AP sees his return to power for a fourth term likely spelling trouble for Mideast peace efforts and possibly escalating tensions with the US. But the New York Times notes this about his past: "Still, Mr. Netanyahu has a long history in power and has in the past demonstrated that he can change positions from campaigning to governing. His record is as a pragmatist, analysts said." What he'll face: Reuters notes the Palestinians will on April 1 join the International Criminal Court—and may cause a headache for Netanyahu in short order. They've previously said they want war crimes charges leveled against Israel.