Percentage of votes counted: 99%
Real Results updated to: 5:00 a.m.
Nationalist/Religious Bloc | Knesset Seats |
Likud | 27 |
Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Is Our Home) | 15 |
Ichud Leumi (National Union) | 4 |
Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) | 3 |
Shas | 11 |
United Torah Judaism | 5 |
Total for Nationalist/Religious Bloc | 65 |
Leftwing Bloc | |
Kadima | 28 |
Labor | 13 |
Meretz | 3 |
Ra'am Ta'al (Arab party) | 4 |
Balad (Arab party) | 3 |
Hadash (Arab/Jewish party) | 4 |
Total for Left-wing Bloc | 55 |
Netanyahu Tries to Block Livni at the Gate
Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu will meet with Israel Is Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) leader Avigdor Lieberman Wednesday in attempt to eliminate any possibility of a government led by Kadima leader Tzipi Livni.
Shas reiterated its backing for Likud, and Netanyahu also called on the Jewish Home, which exit polls indicated will win four mandates, to join a coalition. He made no mention of Ichud Leumi (National Union), which is projected to place three MKs in the next Knesset.
Livni's chances of forming a national unity government appeared dismal as initial results show that her lead in the exit polls is disappearing.
Lieberman told supporters he is not ruling out any coalition, but the chances of Livni forming a national unity government are almost nil. If the exit polls are correct, she would need both Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu for a coalition, but MK Lieberman's demands for a loyalty oath and his opposition to any ceasefire with Hamas virtually negate her chances of success.
Politics is a dirty business - and who knows who will sell their voters for some pork. But as it stands, the religious parties have stated support for Bibi. As it stands regardless of soldier votes - Bibi won this election, and Livni can whine all she wants that someone "stole her election".
Chicken come home to roost. The dereliction of duty when it comes to protecting residents around Gaza, the "disengagement" disaster, the Kadima corruption - while I'm disappointed this hasn't happened yet - I hope it to be the last election we see Kadima exist.
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