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Netanyahu's victory is the Israeli media's failure

The Israeli media chose to ignore political realities and to build up the image of Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog instead of taking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's campaign seriously.
TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY JEAN-LUC RENAUDIE - Men read Israeli newspapers, paying daily Yedioth Aharonot (L) and free daily Israel HaYom (R) in Jerusalem, on February 25, 2015. As politicians intensify their campaigning for Israeli snap elections, an equally ferocious battle is playing out between two media tycoons -- a friend and a foe of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  AFP PHOTO / THOMAS COEX        (Photo credit should read THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was apparently surprised himself by the extent of his victory in the 2015 elections. Not least because that very afternoon, the Likud headquarters was abuzz with rumors that the race against the Zionist Camp was tight, with both parties hovering around a projected 25 seats. Even Netanyahu never imagined a sweeping victory of 30 seats. As time passed, however, and the clock ticked down to the end of voting, he finally realized that he has actually managed to avoid a devastating loss that he himself initiated, and was on his way to his fourth term in office.

Netanyahu is, unquestionably, the biggest surprise of the 2015 elections. The election day momentum was all his, as was the emotional support of the nationalist camp that went out of its way to save his rule. Actually, he and his staff started seeing a return to the Likud by the end of last week. This was most apparent among voters for HaBayit HaYehudi, but it was also evident among the Likud’s traditional base. Something lit a spark under them.

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