CRI听力:Natanyahu's Likud Wins Israeli Parliamentary Elections

Israeli Prime Minister and Likud Party's leader Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement to the media at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, on March 17, 2015. [Photo: Xinhua]

Official results show that Israeli's ruling Likud Party has scored a resounding victory in the country's election, with 99 percent of votes counted as of early Wednesday morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the leader of the party, said the result was "a great victory for the Likud, a great victory for the national camp led by the Likud."

Initial results showed that Likud appeared to have earned 30 out of parliament's 120 seats, while the opposition Zionist Union wound up with just 24 seats.

The Joint List came in third with 14 seats, a landmark result for the newly-formed alliance of Arab parties, which ran together for the first time.

The final results are expected to be released later on Wednesday local time.

In the meantime, Zionist leader Isaac Herzog said he has called Netanyahu Wednesday morning to congratulate him on his victory.

"I welcome any result. I've spoken with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him on his achievements," Herzog said in a statement Wednesday.

Results Wednesday also showed that left-wing Meretz acquired four seats in the upcoming Knesset (parliament), two less than their six in the 2013 elections, barely passing the new electoral threshold of 3.25 percent of the votes.

Meretz's chairwoman Zehava Galon announced Wednesday morning that if, once 100 percent of the votes are counted, the party presence remains at four seats - she will resign her post to make room in the Knesset for number five on the party's list, MK Tamar Zandberg.

Despite the victory, Netanyahu will now have to put together a coalition government with right-wing and religious allies.

Netanyahu says he has already been in touch with all other nationalist parties in hopes of quickly forming a coalition.

On the results of Tuesday's election, Professor Eytan Gilboa with Bar Ilan University shared his view in an earlier interview with CRI.