After three parliamentary elections within the span of a year, and though his right-wing/ultra-Orthodox bloc did not garner the golden 61 seats needed for an outright majority, it now seems that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will continue occupying his position for a further term.

Like the ever-lasting phoenix, Netanyahu offered last night his Likud party one of its greatest-ever victories, amassing four additional Knesset seats. Thus, the right-wing/ultra-Orthodox bloc is almost within reach of 60 seats. After 90% of the votes counted, the Likud is set to be the largest Knesset faction with 36 seats, far ahead of its top rival Blue and White, left with only 32 seats.

Why it matters: Likud leader Netanyahu’s achievement is all the more significant considering the fact that he is about to stand trial on bribe and corruption charges less than two weeks from today. His victory means public legitimacy for him to continue leading the country while appearing in court. Shortly after election results were published, several petitions were submitted to the high court against Netanyahu being tasked with composing the next government. Still, Israeli law enables the head of state to continue serving while indicted, and so chances are slim that the court would prevent Netanyahu from doing exactly that.

Netanyahu’s Likud received especially high support in the party’s bastions in the periphery, amid the weaker socio-economic sectors. Voters there identified with Netanyahu’s claim of persecution and with his claim that the legal cases against him were fabricated in order to topple him. These sentiments became strongly rooted in Israel’s southern periphery towns, to the point of overcoming their daily hardship of rocket fire from Gaza.