Premature congratulation? Trump applauds Netanyahu's apparent PM victory

President Donald Trump has congratulated Binyamin Netanyahu as he appears to be headed for a fifth term as prime minister of Israel, although no official result has yet been announced.

Speaking with reporters in Washington on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged that it might be a bit premature to declare Netanyahu's victory, but said he's hearing that he's won.

Unofficial election results seem to give a solid majority in parliament to Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and other nationalist and religious parties.

The outcome would affirm Israel's continued shift to the right and further dim hopes of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians have severed ties with the Trump administration.

Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has been working on a Middle East peace plan dubbed Deal of the Century. Few if any details have emerged, but Trump says there will be "some pretty good action" on the plan soon.

Israel's president said on Wednesday his talks with political parties are to begin next week, in the run-up to picking the leader he thinks has the best chance of forming a stable governing coalition.

Reuven Rivlin added that, for the first time, his meetings with party leaders would be broadcast on live television "in the name of transparency."

Although the president acts largely in a ceremonial capacity, he is charged with choosing a candidate for prime minister after hearing recommendations from the heads of all factions. He will then task the leading candidate with forming a government within 42 days.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appears poised to be the president's choice, with close-to-complete unofficial election results giving his right-wing Likud and other nationalist and religious parties a solid majority in parliament.

However, his main rival Benny Gantz said the game is not over yet.

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