Israeli election: Netanyahu says he won't concede, blames media bias
- Barak Ravid, author of Axios from Tel Aviv
Netanyahu addresses supporters on election night. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he'll still fight to keep power despite exit polls from today's elections showing his Likud party trailing the center-left Blue and White party and his right-wing bloc falling short of a majority.
What he's saying: Netanyahu accused the media of biased coverage during the campaign and insisted that after waiting for the final results, he'd attempt to form a governing coalition. Netanyahu also said Israel needs a Zionist government committed to Israel's identity as a Jewish state, adding: "No government can be based on support from Arab parties." Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, also stressed that he's the man to deal with President Trump's peace plan and the Iranian nuclear threat.
Go deeper: Early election results.