Israel's Netanyahu turns focus to Iran after narrow election win

[No Elephants]

By Alistair Lyon, Reuters

JERUSALEM -- Hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory in Israel's parliamentary election, shrugging off surprise losses to center-left challengers and vowing to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

However, Tuesday's vote, which also disappointed religiously inspired hardliners, may deflect the premier's focus on confronting Tehran and resisting Palestinian demands as Israel's secular middle-class demanded new attention on domestic issues.

That in turn might draw Netanyahu toward a less fractious relationship with his key ally, U.S. President Barack Obama, who himself embarked on a new term this week with great ambitions.

Interim vote count results on Wednesday showed the Israeli leader's right-wing Likud and the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu would remain the biggest bloc in the 120-member assembly, but with only 31 seats, 11 fewer than the 42 the two parties held in the last parliament.

That put Netanyahu on course for a third term in office, perhaps leading a hardline coalition that would promote Jewish settlement on occupied land.

But his weakened showing in the ballot, which he had called nine months early in the hope of a strong mandate for his struggle with Iran, could complicate his efforts to forge an alliance with a stable and substantial majority in parliament.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/22/16650204-israels-netanyahu-turns-focus-to-iran-after-narrow-election-win?lite

Here comes Honey Bibi Bibi.

[Enthusiast]

1. Is it anti-Semitic if

I say I hate Netanyahu?

[No Elephants]

4. P.S. Great graphic.

[formercia]

2. No, Bibi, God is not on your side.

but you just keep on taking that Money from the American Taliban. They have great plans for you.

[No Elephants]

3. As Lincoln observed, we can only hope we are on God's side.