White House said the coming days that John Kerry phoned the Israeli PM – from the scene of his Iran negotiations – on behalf of the State Department . Obama plans to call him in Wednesday , his press secretary said , but would n't give specifics . Opposition leader immediately congratulated Netanyahu on his stunning win , but President Obama wo n't until Israel 's president asks the PM to form a coalition government . Netanyahu 's Likud party earned 30 of the Knesset 's 120 seats , enough to control a majority with help from other ring-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties . The election was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu and a former senior Obama campaign elped organize opposition voters .
White House said Wednesday that John Kerry phoned the Israeli PM – from the scene of his Iran negotiations – on behalf of the State Department . Obama plans to call him in the coming days , his press secretary said , but would n't give specifics . Opposition leader immediately congratulated Netanyahu on his stunning win , but President Obama wo n't until Israel 's president asks the PM to form a coalition government . Netanyahu 's Likud party earned 30 of the Knesset 's 120 seats , enough to control a majority with help from other ring-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties . The election was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu and a former senior Obama campaign elped organize opposition voters .