Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu certainly has reason to celebrate. He surprised nearly everyone by securing a decisive electoral victory, winning a third consecutive term in office after his right-wing Likud party gained a five-seat advantage in the Knesset over its main rival, the center-left Zionist Union.
But the celebration is likely to be short. The way Netanyahu finagled this outcome ¡ª renouncing his commitment to a two-state solution with Palestine and pledging to continue building settlements on occupied land ¡ª will almost certainly have serious political and diplomatic consequences for Israel.
In recent years, Netanyahu¡¯s hardline stance has increasingly undermined Israel¡¯s international credibility, while convincing the Palestinians living in the occupied territories that a genuine agreement with Israel is impossible. (Indeed, Palestinians showed little interest in the outcome of this election.)
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