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.