Rookie mistake: Eisenkot celebrated too early - and Netanyahu rushed to mark his 'boundaries'

Moran Azulai analyzes election night: Netanyahu achieved a double victory (the largest party and leading the Jewish majority) and launched a campaign against joining with Arabs. Eisenkot declared victory too early and delivered a sharp and harsh speech, a move the article calls a 'rookie mistake'.

Moran Azulai analyzes the night of the elections for the 26th Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu achieved a double victory: Likud is the largest party and he leads the Jewish majority in the Knesset. Netanyahu did not declare a 'great victory' but immediately launched a delegitimization campaign against joining with Arab parties, and marked boundaries for his rival Gadi Eisenkot. Eisenkot, chairman of Yashar!, delivered a speech that was too sharp and harsh according to the article, declared that Netanyahu is 'on his way home' and presented himself as 'the next prime minister'. The article calls this a 'Rocky mistake' and notes that Netanyahu may turn to Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Lieberman. However, Netanyahu's political power has weakened from 64 seats to less than 61, and part of the Likud list carries a 'full stomach'.