World leaders congratulate Netanyahu on election win

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to congratulate him on the Likud party's victory in the elections. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to call Netanyahu in the coming days as well.

However, the Obama administration also criticized Netanyahu for statements made during the campaign.

"There has been a lot of coverage in the media about some of the rhetoric that emerged Tuesday that was propagated by the Likud party to encourage turnout of their supporters that sought to, frankly, marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens. The United States and this administration is deeply concerned by divisive rhetoric that seeks to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens," White House Press Secretary John Earnest said.

On Netanyahu's statement that there will not be a Palestinian state, the White House press secretary said Obama believes in a Palestinian state and the two-state solution, even if Netanyahu does not anymore, and that the two-state solution has been the U.S.'s policy for 20 years, under Republican and Democratic presidents.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated Netanyahu on his victory. On his Twitter page, the British prime minister wrote: "Congratulations to Netanyahu on election result. As one of Israel's firmest friends, U.K. looks forward to working with new government."

The European Union issued a statement on Wednesday saying, "The EU is committed to working with the incoming Israeli government on a mutually beneficial relationship as well as on the re-launch of the peace process."

One surprising message came from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who congratulated Netanyahu in Hebrew. "Mazal tov, my friend, I recall our New York meeting last September warmly," he wrote.

Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper tweeted: "I congratulate PM Netanyahu on his election results. We look forward to working with the government once formed. Israel has no greater friend than Canada."