Some Post-Election Day Observations

First, the Likud really is the biggest faction in the Knesset.

There's the Likud of Bibi Netanyahu, and the Likud of Avigdor Lieberman (he was Likud Director in the 1990s) and the Likud of Tzipi Livni (almost half of her MKS dropped out of Likud with Sharon).

Second, the Left in Israel has drastically dwindled. The Leftist hardcore camp is Labor with 13 and Meretz with 3. True, Kadima is viewed by the Right as Left but see above. If you add the Communists with 4, since, unlike the Arab parties, they have some Jews, the total then is 20.

Third, as Nadia Matar points out, it doesn't seem that the National Union and Jewish Home/NRP took away votes from Likud in a major fashion. In the outgoing Knesset that had nine MKs and today, seven. So, two mandates went to Likud or to Lieberman.

Fourth, Shas has begun to lose those voters who in the 1980s and 1990s, fled Likud for something more traditional.

Fifth, the new "roadmap" of Left, kadima and Right:






That's all for now folks.