Benny Gantz, head of the centrist Blue and White party who had challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called to congratulate him Friday after Israel's final election results showed the prime minister poised to win a fifth term.
Netanyahu appeared all but certain to form the next government, as the final tally showed his Likud party capturing 36 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, edging past Blue and White, which got 35 seats.
"With all votes now counted and the final results in, I would like to congratulate you on your achievement in the elections," Gantz told Netanyahu. "We will continue serving the country's citizens."