Israel General Election Thread: March 17 2015

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Joint List says they will "stop right-wing from hijacking government". Suggests to me they'd be more than happy to support a Herzog government should Kulanu swing that way.

[MaxQue]

G-d willing these exit polls are right and a right-wing coalition is formed.

Hamas says the same thing

The idea that of religion disgusts most of you, doesn't it? Comparing everything to religious extremism does not make it so.

No, it's Hamas themselves who said than they wished than Likud would win.

[Comrade Funk]

G-d willing these exit polls are right and a right-wing coalition is formed.

Hamas says the same thing

The idea that of religion disgusts most of you, doesn't it? Comparing everything to religious extremism does not make it so.

Just like calling Obama a socialist does not make him one. I might lean right, but I am not blinded by ideology. While I believe Netanyahu is better for Israel then Herzog, I would still have faith in Herzog's ability to protect Israel.

It is only Livni I do not trust.

That's not it, despite religion being stupid. Hamas wants Netanyahu to win because Netanyahu stated only yesterday he doesn't believe in a Palestinian state. Him and his god awful coalition will continue to build settlements, will continue to go to war every summer, will continue to ignore the UN, continue to hurt Israel internationally. AKA - Exactly What Hamas Wants!

[ag]

G-d willing these exit polls are right and a right-wing coalition is formed.

Hamas says the same thing

The idea that of religion disgusts most of you, doesn't it? Comparing everything to religious extremism does not make it so.

Just like calling Obama a socialist does not make him one. I might lean right, but I am not blinded by ideology. While I believe Netanyahu is better for Israel then Herzog, I would still have faith in Herzog's ability to protect Israel.

It is only Livni I do not trust.

Netanyahu believes in a god? News to me. This has nothing to do with religion.

[MalaspinaGold]

Question: will Bennett resign as a result of this?

[DL]

The final round of polls mostly gave JH 12-13 seats and Yachad 5 seats - that would be 17-18 for the extreme extreme right (Likud is only extreme right) - now the extreme extreme right gets a grand total of 8 seats...

[ag]

The final round of polls mostly gave JH 12-13 seats and Yachad 5 seats - that would be 17-18 for the extreme extreme right (Likud is only extreme right) - now the extreme extreme right gets a grand total of 8 seats...

Frankly, I would prefer the extreme extreme. You know: I am with Hamas on this one.

[DL]

When do actual results (as opposed to exit polls) start to come in?

[Torie]

The link below works for election streaming. ZU supporters are not happy. I wonder if it is at all possible, that the JL will have a course correction, and have the courage and imagination, to go main stream in Israeli politics, if only to move the ball a bit in their direction. I can't imagine a centrist party going the the ZU faction if it depends on the JL in  loose cannon status. But then as I said above, I am an ignoramus on all of this, and actually know basically nothing.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-live-israeli-election-results/

[Hatman 🍁]

I've been watching that, the coverage is terrible.

[Double Carpet]

Results are available here:

votes20.gov.il/nationalresults

[Torie]

I've been watching that, the coverage is terrible.

Correct. But then there are no hard votes to report I guess.

[Bojack Horseman]

I want Netanyahu to lose sooooo bad. Come on, Israel! Do the right thing!

[Comrade Funk]

Bibi using race hatred to get votes. Never Forget. Maybe the exit polls were somehow wrong? If there is a God!

[MalaspinaGold]

Rivlin calls for national unity government, Netanyahu will work towards that by ditching Bayit Yehudi and Lieberman, according to Haaretz...

[Torie]

Rivlin calls for national unity government, Netanyahu will work towards that by ditching Bayit Yehudi and Lieberman, according to Haaretz...

Unless the Likud partners bag a couple of more seats, the math does not work dumping Lieberman. Apparently the religious parties will not tolerate YA being in their coalition, so that leaves just Kalunu to get to 64 votes, and Lieberman has five votes, so he's needed.

[Famous Mortimer]

For Likud, it looks like both Avi Dichter and Tzipi Hotovely are safe, meaning there court wrangling was for naught. Also, Druze MK Ayoob Kara is back in.

For the Zionist Union, all the Hatnuah candidates made it in, including the Green Movement candidate, that's something. In addition to Zouheir Bahloul, it looks like they even elected a second Arab as well, Druze union activist Saleh Saad.

For the Joint List, Tibi's cousin, the second member of Ta'al probably got in.

For The Jewish Home, it looks like Uri Ariel is the only member of Tkuma left, is that correct?

For Yesh Atid, we're not sure but it looks like it's possible Livni defector Elazar Stern was re-elected.

For Kulanu, nobody interesting got in.

Nothing interesting with the ultra-Orthodox parties either, all faceless drones as usual.

Meretz is the same 5 people as last time.

Beytenu stays in (as I expected) so Orly Levy gets to serve along her brother from Likud. Landver also stays in. Druze guy just misses out (probably) and everyone else who got elected is a facebook Liberbot.

[ag]

Rivlin calls for national unity government, Netanyahu will work towards that by ditching Bayit Yehudi and Lieberman, according to Haaretz...

Unless the Likud partners bag a couple of more seats, the math does not work dumping Lieberman. Apparently the religious parties will not tolerate YA being in their coalition, so that leaves just Kalunu to get to 64 votes, and Lieberman has five votes, so he's needed.

Read carefully. What he meant was that in the UNITY government there would be no JH or YB. Instead, of course, there would be ZU and Likud, and the two together are almost in the mid 50s.

Basically, we are talking in this case of ZU, Likud, Kulanu and YA. A broad centrist coalition - possibly with the religious on top. Is that possible? I guess so. Probable? To early to tell.

[Cassius]

Why is it that everyone assumes the (possible) election of Herzog as PM is magically going to make everything better; if he's relying upon a support base stretching from Balad to Kulanu the methinks his government is liable to end up as a total trainwreck.

[ag]

Why is it that everyone assumes the (possible) election of Herzog as PM is magically going to make everything better; if he's relying upon a support base stretching from Balad to Kulanu the methinks his government is liable to end up as a total trainwreck.

Basically, a lot of people would take in anything, just so it is not Netanyahu.

[MaxQue]

Why is it that everyone assumes the (possible) election of Herzog as PM is magically going to make everything better; if he's relying upon a support base stretching from Balad to Kulanu the methinks his government is liable to end up as a total trainwreck.

Can he really do worse than Netanyahu? I doubt it. I expect a milder foreign rhetoric with no real change in action and a focus on the pressing domestic issues neglected by Likud.

[Mr. Illini]

Bibi declared victory on twitter...

https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/577937082313637888

[danny]

After 48K votes counted (in %):

ZU: 24.88
Likud: 22.17
JH: 12.04
YA: 8.16
Kulanu: 6.89
Meretz: 5.29
Yachad: 4.46
Shas: 4.24
JL: 3.87
UTJ: 3.05
Beitenu: 2.64
Green Leaf: 1.63

Still very early of course.

[Famous Mortimer]

Rivlin calls for national unity government, Netanyahu will work towards that by ditching Bayit Yehudi and Lieberman, according to Haaretz...

Unless the Likud partners bag a couple of more seats, the math does not work dumping Lieberman. Apparently the religious parties will not tolerate YA being in their coalition, so that leaves just Kalunu to get to 64 votes, and Lieberman has five votes, so he's needed.

Read carefully. What he meant was that in the UNITY government there would be no JH or YB. Instead, of course, there would be ZU and Likud, and the two together are almost in the mid 50s.

Basically, we are talking in this case of ZU, Likud, Kulanu and YA. A broad centrist coalition - possibly with the religious on top. Is that possible? I guess so. Probable? To early to tell.

Bibi no doubt will insist on the inclusion of Shas and UTJ. He kowtowed to them even when they weren't in his last coalition. He is terrified of alienating the ultra-Orthodox because he always wants them as back up coalition partners. Even if an all secular government is inexplicably formed with Likud, Labor, Yesh Atid, and Kulanu, you can be sure it won't make any moves towards secularization under Bibi's leadership.

[Famous Mortimer]

After 48K votes counted (in %):

ZU: 24.88
Likud: 22.17
JH: 12.04
YA: 8.16
Kulanu: 6.89
Meretz: 5.29
Yachad: 4.46
Shas: 4.24
JL: 3.87
UTJ: 3.05
Beitenu: 2.64
Green Leaf: 1.63

Still very early of course.

Link?