{"id":22637,"date":"2015-03-18T18:07:06","date_gmt":"2015-03-19T00:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=22637"},"modified":"2015-03-20T07:08:55","modified_gmt":"2015-03-20T13:08:55","slug":"zionist-union-head-isaac-herzog-calls-netanyahu-to-concede","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/zionist-union-head-isaac-herzog-calls-netanyahu-to-concede\/","title":{"rendered":"Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog calls Netanyahu to concede"},"content":{"rendered":"

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and conceded defeat in Israel’s national elections.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday morning, Herzog told reporters outside his home that he spoke by phone with Netanyahu and “congratulated him on his achievement and wished him good luck.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nation has had its say, and we have to respect that,\u201d Herzog said.<\/p>\n

With 99 percent of the ballots counted, the Likud Party surged overnight to 30 seats, while the Zionist Union dropped from initial exit poll data to 24.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu reportedly spoke with the leaders of the parties likely to become part of a right-wing government coalition, including the Jewish Home, Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas and United Torah Judaism.<\/p>\n

Also Wednesday, Meretz chairwoman Zahava Gal-On said that if the party’s number of seats remains at four, she would give up her Knesset seat and quit politics, remaining as the left-wing party’s leader until it elects a new chair. With its four seats, down from six in 2013, Meretz just broke the threshold to be included in the Knesset.<\/p>\n

Final election results will be confirmed on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

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