Confounding his critics and the opinion polls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is celebrating a surprise victory in Israel’s general election.br br His next challenge will be putting together a stable coalition.br br Netanyahu’s right wing Likud Party won 30 seats in Tuesday’s poll. br br His main centre-left rival, the Zionist Union, took second place with 24 seats while a united list of Arab parties came third.br br It amounts to a dramatic and unexpected victory.br br The last opinion polls published four days before the vote showed the Zionist Union with a four-seat advantage over Likud, which now needs allies to form a majority in the Knesset. br br Netanyahu must assemble 61 seats and crossing that threshold will be challenging given the amount of division across Israel’s political landscape.