In the national elections to the 14th Knesset, Benjamin Netanyahu defeated the incumbent Shimon Peres by 29,457 votes out of the 2,972,589 votes cast. He won 50.4% of the ballots compared with 49.5% given to his opponent. The Likud-Tsomet-Gesher alliance won 23 seats in the Knesset, while Labour won 32 seats. Negotiations for the formation of a new government began immediately after the results were made official. In the following address to a Likud victory rally in Jerusalem, the Prime Minister-elect devoted his speech to domestic matters and promised major changes in social and economic affairs. He stated that peace with Jordan and Egypt will continue while negotiations with the Palestinians will also continue. He called on the rest of the Arab world to join the peace process. Text:
Citizens of Israel, Friends,
The State of Israel is embarking on a new path today, a path of hope and of unity, a path of security and of peace. And first and foremost peace. We must make peace at home, amongst ourselves.
This is our most important task because in recent years the polarization in Israeli society has deepened, the gaps have become larger, and the tension has increased.
Dear friends, I see as my first task as Prime Minister to mend the rifts, to reduce the tensions and to strengthen the unity and the sense of partnership which is the basis of our existence. And I want to tell you: the first peace is peace at home.
Israeli society is blessed with many shades and persuasions. Our unity is not based on blurring the uniqueness of each group. It is expressly nurturing tolerance and mutual respect while maintaining the religious status quo.
I am talking about a coming together of all the sectors in Israeli society, while maintaining the delicate balance between differing world views. This is our way and we will pursue it.
These principles are enshrined in the Jewish heritage, which is the basis of our unity as a people, and from which we draw the principles of justice and equality for all of Israels citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish alike.
I turn this evening to the non-Jewish citizens of Israel, I want to tell you something: I see you as full and equal partners in every field of endeavor in the country.
I turn to the entire Israeli public those who voted for me and those who did not. I tell you that I intend to be the Prime Minister of you all, without exception. The peace we bring will not be peace for the Likud or the national camp. It will be peace for all, with security for all, and with prosperity and welfare for all.
I say this because I believe it to be my duty to be the Prime Minister of all Israels citizens secular and religious, Jews and non-Jews, new immigrants and veteran Israelis, residents of development towns and of established cities.
In the next four years we will work together for a better future, the future of our country, of our people.
Friends, I said peace begins at home. But we must also continue with peace abroad. We intend to advance the dialogue with our neighbors to reach a stable peace, a real peace, peace with security, for all people in the region.
"God shall give strength to His people, God will bless His people with peace."
Strength, security, these are the basis for a real peace.
This evening I extend my hand in peace to all the Arab leaders and to our Palestinian neighbors. I am calling on you all: come and join us. Let us take the path of true peace together. Let us take the path of security for all of us, for all the nations of the region.
The government we will form in a few days, with Gods help, will act to strengthen ties of peace which have already been forged with Jordan and Egypt. We will continue the negotiations with the Palestinians. And we will work to further peace accords and coexistence with other Arab countries. I call upon them too: join the circle of peace.
I see our friend, the United States of America, as a true partner in the process of making peace. The relations between the U.S. and Israel are rock solid, and I am certain they will remain that way in the next four years. Our relations are built not only on common interest. They are founded on the shared values of democracy and human dignity.
I am committed to the values of freedom and democracy, just as I am committed to the eternal values of the Jewish people, and there is no contradiction between the two. I am committed to the rule of the law in our country just as I am committed to our Jewish identity, and there is no contradiction between the two.
On the basis of these values we intend to make social and economic changes in the country. We believe that every citizen is entitled to equal opportunity to realize his full potential. We will finally introduce a truly free market in Israel. A economy which is not controlled by bureaucrats, an economy that does not stunt initiative. I am sure that in this way we will unleash our creativity, the genius laden in this people, so that the society and the economy will burst forth and take off and will blossom and flourish.
I want to tell you another thing. Many times I hear it said that there is a social sphere and an economic sphere. I dont believe it. You cant separate between the economic and the social. Only if there is a strong economy can we take care of the weak and we will take care of the weak.
We will close the poverty gap. We will take care of deprived neighborhoods and development towns, we will help take care of the elderly among the new immigrants, and the soldiers who have finished their service.
And the most important tool for closing these gaps is education. A few days ago I was in Tamra, and I saw a cute boy there. I put my hand on his shoulder and said: this boy deserves the same opportunity as my son, Yair. No difference between them. Only by getting the best possible education will he be able to compete in the world of tomorrow, and succeed. I believe this with all my heart. I will act to implement this to the best of my ability.
Every child in Israel will receive the means to develop his or her abilities so that he can be part of the world of tomorrow and succeed in it. There will not be here a First Israel, and Second Israel and a Third Israel. There will be here one Israel, with equal opportunity for all in Julis, in Ramat Gan, in Kiryat Shemona and in Ramat Aviv. I believe in this with all my heart.
And I want to tell you another thing: a free economy, an open society, without obstacles, without bureaucracy, without arrogance, without patronage this is the way to bring millions of immigrants to Israel. And we intend to do it because only in this way can we realize the Zionist dream of bringing here the vast majority of the Jewish people.
Friends, exactly a hundred years ago, in 1896, a Jewish visionary named Benjamin Zeev Herzl sat and wrote a dream called "The Jewish State." We realized this dream; we continue to realize it today. We will complete its achievement to be a free people in our land.
This State was founded to bring back an ancient people to its historic homeland and restore its national and cultural life. Only thanks to our Jewish heritage were we able to keep that hope alive in the Diaspora. Because of our heritage, we came back to our land.
Our Jewish heritage, ladies and gentlemen, is not just part of our past. It is the basis for guaranteeing our future. It is also the only way to maintain our link with the Jewish Diaspora. There is no other basis, and so we will act together to strengthen and foster our heritage. We will work to deepen our ties to the Land of Israel. We will keep Jerusalem united under Israeli sovereignty. I declare this here tonight, in Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people, the city which will never again be divided.
We will go together on this path, with faith, with unity, in peace and security.
For the first time, a Prime Minister in Israel has a direct mandate from the people. All of these things we do together because I received from you, each one of you, a mandate to bring a new era to the State of Israel.
I know this will take some time for the public, which is perhaps concerned, to understand that everything we say here we mean. We are truly talking of a change, not pronouncements, and of justice, not injustice.
Thanks to all of you for the tremendous effort, the dedication, the trust. And a special thanks to my wife Sarah, who is my full partner in my path. Her wisdom helped me greatly and her partnership filled me with belief and gave me strength.
My friends, I want to send tonight additional thanks to a man who has done much for the State of Israel. I want to express appreciation for Mr. Shimon Peres. No, my friends, the campaign is behind us. We are now in another era, an era of combining forces, and this means across the whole nation. I want to tell you something about Mr. Peres: we had differences of opinion, but no one here will forget the importance of the contribution that Mr. Peres made to the State of Israel over fifty years. Mr. Peres, the nation of Israel owes you a debt of gratitude.
I want to say here before you what I told Mr. Peres when we spoke on the day after the election: we have only one state. We have one country. We will protect it and will bring, with Gods help, the security and peace which is the hearts desire of us all.
God shall give strength to His people, God will bless His people with peace.