News  Elections
No clear winner – Kadima 28, Likud 27
Ynet
Published: 11.02.09, 09:39
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26 Talkbacks for this article
1. 1.1% Holy Cow Batman!
Daniel ,   San Jose, CA   (02.11.09)
Uhm we don't call this till 80% or so are counted. You hit one small pocket of conservative Israeli's and the 1.1% lead goes bye bye... Hmmm now that I think about it last time we voted Bibi into office it was the same way. Went to bed thinking one guy had won and woke up the next morning with a surprise. Wow this is going to be a nail bitter into the wee hours of the morning.
2. While Rome is Burning (Iran) What About Shas?
Dav Lev ,   Burbank. CAUSA   (02.11.09)
To Daniel: does it matter, 2 or 3? The real problem now facing Peres, is who will be the P.M., Bibi or Livni? We hear that perhaps a rotating P.M. Oh come on! Is Shas RIGHT, middle or left? That's the key to any new gov't. Personally, I would have Bibi P.M, and Livni. F.M. Let Barak remain defense minister. Let's get on with CHANGE, as our Pres. likes to say all the time. Israel's problems are it's existence..the US problem is whether to stay or leave Iraq and Afghanistan..and how to talk and engage with Ahmad and his gaggle of mad mullahs (with nukes soon).
3. there's no hope for these people
Rami   (02.11.09)
they are just too dumb, signing off.
4. #1: don't bite your nails
david ,   new york   (02.11.09)
right wing has majority. livni is sunk
5. Right bloc winner
Kidon77   (02.11.09)
Livni pyrhhic victory leaves he with no real majority. The real winner is the right bloc with Netanyahu and Lieberman. They will soon lead our country.
6. To #2, 4
Daniel ,   San Jose, CA   (02.11.09)
Ok yes I have to say Peres can sink himself either way. If Peres assigns the task to Livni the right will align in strength to stop her. If Bibi is assigned the task all sorts of law suits will erupt and lord knows what else because Livni took one extra seat. If my understanding is correct if Livni fails we have another round of elections? I think shas will go right. Yisrael Beteinu is right and then some. Honestly Bibi could through together a coalition in 24 hours. Livni probably never can given the make up of the Knesset. Overall it is overwhelmingly right. To get the government back on track to work on the issues he needs to go against the populer vote. I am not sure how that is possible either.
7. Next PM to be determined by Peres - not true!
martin knopfman ,   tel aviv   (02.11.09)
When one reads such inaccurate information as is found in the first paragraph it's hard to continue with an article. Peres will task either Livni or Peres with 'attempting' to form a coalition and can't nominate a PM. Lieberman has stated he prefers to go with Bibi as have around 2/3 of MKs. The right now has 65 and the left 54 mandates so good try Livni but no cigar. Additionally when the IDF votes come in Bibi will most likely gain another mandate. Bibi is the next PM. Martin
8. When will you be changing your election system?
(02.11.09)
Such as: not assigning MKs to parties which get less than xxx% voters? Such as: assigning a bonus batch of MKs to the wining party?
9. a national unity gvment is the only way Livni can have stabi
zionist forever   (02.11.09)
A national unity government I think is something that Livni wanted even before the elections themselves and the polls were shoing a 2 point lead to Likud. As things stand now is the only way she can be PM of a stable government thats got any chance of going the full 4 year term and her getting her left wing policies through. Even then though Bibi is going to be obligated to vote against some of her policies like selling Jerusalem or the Golan which he promised he would not do. If he does he will make things even harder for Likud next time. Labour is garunteed a spot which means without Likud she can count on 41 mandats if she can get Likud then its going to get barely get her a left wing dominated coalition with 68 out of the minumum 61 needed. She also likes Likud because Bibi is pretty liberal these days so her coalition should be very stablle. If Biibi refuses then with Labour she will get 40 and have to invite Shas which she really doesn't want to do because they can derail her sell out peace plans especialy when it comes to Jerusalem which she is ready to give away and thats the very reason we even went to elections. She will will need Liberman who she doesn't want because he will derail many of her plans. If she doesn't want him she will need Meeretz and arab parties which kills her centerist claims because her coalition will be of arabs and leftists the only ones not on the left are Shas. If Likud refuse to join the coalition then between the the right and religious blocs will have potentialy 57 MK's against her and that wouldn't even include the 11 members of Shas working aganst her from within giving her more enemies than friends. The IDF are probably going to go mainly with Labour simply because Barak came out of Gaza with the image of the hero DM which will play inrto Livnis hands. The second most likley vote winner from the IDF is Bibi simply because he did nothing in either Gaza or Lebanon bur they are unlikley to support the queen of suurender and 1701.
10. You all ignore something
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (02.11.09)
The most interesting thing is the Arab vote. Contrary to predictions, the Arab citizens voted in large numbers. But instead of voting for extreme Left parties like Kadima, they voted for "Arab" parties. Since even Livni won't add Arabs to her coalition to ethnically cleanse the Golan, Judea and Samaria of Jews, she is left with only 44 MKs. If she wants to make a coalition, she will need both Lieberman or Shas, both who won't let her destroy Jerusalem. Things are looking up this morning.
11. #9
Joseph ,   Israel   (02.11.09)
The IDF soldiers will vote National Union or Lieberman, not Labor. Look at the casualties. These are all zionists, many religious and what Barak calls "settlers".
12. Enjoying the quiet
Talula ,   Israel   (02.11.09)
Phew! thank god that's over with. My home phone was ringing with messages from Bibi and others - Tzipi was sending me sms messges on my cell phone - and it seems we were bombarded from all angels. Peace at last.
13. Everyone's a winner!
Toby ,   Lapland   (02.11.09)
Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays Livni will lead; -- on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays, Bibi. On Shabbat Olmert gets to lead (we don't want to hurt his self-esteem either).
14. Lets vote again
Mark ,   Maale Adumim   (02.11.09)
Lets go to the polls again and just have the two parties to vote for Livni and Netanyahu then who ever wins can form a coalition.
15. #10 some other things
Stan ,   USA   (02.11.09)
Contrary to predictions, everyone voted in large numbers. Biggest voter turn out in a long time. Arabs should vote for Arab parties which will press their interests. It's actually the Arabs who will refuse to play a part in any coalition that includes people who voted to throw them out the other week, and that includes Kadima/Labor. Otherwise they'd consider it (especially communists like Hadash). If Livni could have made a coalition, she would have made one several months ago when she and Labor had more seats. It's not even possible for her.
16. BiBi really blew it.....
Brian ,   Rocket Zone, Israel   (02.11.09)
...by ignoring the voice of his party, when in the primary many had voted for Felign, and than pushing him way down the list against the Lidkidnicks will, he forced many Likudnicks whose voices were ignored, to go elsewhere, I myself voted Ichud Leumi for me this was a simple decision they are the only list that represent my beliefs, of no two state solution, never give up land, no appeasing terrorist, and first and foremost defend the Jewish homeland, our enemies don't want peace, our only option is fight. BiBi has led Likud far from it's Zionist roots and toward the center in an attempt to take votes from Kadima, all he managed to do was loose his base. The fact that the right wing grew so much but Likud didn't outright win is evidence that Likud will either move back to the right or disappear along with Labor in the future as the new right disapears, my only regret is that Ichud Leumi didn't get five seats because although our top four representatives are now the four best in the Knesset, it is a shame that our fifth Uri Banks didn't make it, he is truly a great guy and the future of the right wing, but the military votes aren't in yet, so we will see. www.leumi.org.il
17. No Surprise: Mixing Khol w/Qodesh Intrinsically Conflicted
Paqid Yirmeyahu ,   Ra'anana, Israel   (02.11.09)
A balagon of inherent cognitive dissonance is the Israeli national character, because... Khol does not mix with qodesh, leaving many hopelessly confused and indecisive lemmings. Torah does not permit support either for a government separate (i.e., le-havdil) from Torah or for a government ruled by superstition and calling superstitions Torah (khilul ha-Sheim). This election has demonstrated, yet again (how many times will it take) that qodesh will never mix with khol. The unavoidable--and should be unsurprising--product is intrinsic cognitive dissonance, an inherently conflicted balagon. Havdalah is commanded and those who profess to follow Torah while mingling with the khol make themselves sanctimonious hypocrites and breachers of Torah. Havdalah from khol, including those who reject or ignore the b'rit Torah and refuse to make teshuvah, is a mitzwah, not a suggestion. Those who think they can claim the promises of Torah based on the sanctimonious hypocrisy of violating this basic mitzwah will continue to be thwarted until they make the unavoidable havdalah. Your grandparents would have sat shiva for them and moved on; and they were right. ha-Sheim and His Torah don't change... ever. Paqid Yirmeyahu Paqid 16, The Netzarim, Ra'anana, Israel Israeli Orthodox Jew (Teimani Baladi Dardai) Advancing Logic as Halakhic Authority Welcoming Jews & non-Jews www.netzarim.co.il
18. election day after
Observer   (02.11.09)
The victory is clearly for the Likud who jumped from 11 seats in the former Knesset to 27 seats today. In addition Netanyahu can form a wide right wing coalition with Lieberman and other national parties reaching a majority of 65 seats, while Livni leftist bloc match only 55 seats. The only hope for Livni is aunity governement, that Netanyahu should oppose. The kadima years where the worse in Israel history. A long stay in opposition will break definitively the artificial Kadima and restore a Right/left divide.
19. We won!
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah   (02.11.09)
B"H We won! With nearly 40% we, the non voting public, are the real winners! We are the largest group here, more than Likud, more than Kadima, more than Labor, more than the Left and more than the Right! We, the non voting public, should speak up more than ever and more loudly than ever. We should voice and voice again and again our NO CONFIDENCE in the "democratic" system. Not because it is corrupt and insufficient in terms of decision-making but because it is Hellenistic. Let's not forget that the knesset is NOT a Torah institution and as Jews our duty on the Land of Israel is to bring it down, appoint a King, Sanhedrin and just courts in every village. Every election shows that nearly half of the Israelis understand this basic truth and there is no way we'll stop fighting for our fundamental Jewish right to have a Jewish State. Long Live The King!
20. It's all about goodwill vs. lust for power
Maurice ,   Montreal   (02.11.09)
It would be a shame for either Bibi or Tzipi to join forces with the racist Lieberman in order to become PM. If either of them (Bibi or Tzipi) has enough good will to place the future of Israel above their own ambition for power he or she should accept a unity government between Likud and Kadima. Any other configuration that will include the Lieberman in the government will lose all my respect for these two.
21. None of you get it!
Paqid Yirmeyahu ,   Ra'anana, Israel   (02.11.09)
We Israeli Jews live in a barrel. It's imperative to change the label. I don't see any reason why that's important but all of the lemmings are so frenetic about changing the label so it must be important? Democracy elevates a reflection of the people. It is the people of Israel who are internally conflicted. Democracy can never heal an internally conflicted people; it can only mirror them. Until the people of Israel resolve their internal strifes you can change labels as often as you like; you will be eternally afflicted by this intrinsically conflicted barrel. Until "lehavdil bein qodesh lekhol" you cannot claim the promises of Torah, much less anything else. Oxen that pull in different directions cannot work yoked together. Paqid Yirmeyahu Paqid 16, The Netzarim, Ra'anana, Israel Israeli Orthodox Jew (Teimani Baladi Dardai) Advancing Logic as Halakhic Authority Welcoming Jews & non-Jews www.netzarim.co.il
22. #10 that naivete is touching...
Danny   (02.11.09)
Shas will vote for whoever gives them the most money and the greatest opportunity to force themselves onto secular people. Lieberman will do the same. Personally I would call elections again. There is no point having a mickey mouse government that has zero stability during this period. Oh and raise the bar for the percentage you need before you get seats, time to end these mickey mouse one shot wonder parties.
23. livni looks like an idiot
nate ,   canada   (02.11.09)
trying to look american or something with those "peace" signs or whatever.
24. And who is supposed to pay for your "new elections"?
Mish ,   tel aviv   (02.11.09)
25. #23 thats obviously V for victory not "peace"
Mohammed ,   Jeddah   (02.11.09)
26. Maybe she's saying "We're Number 2"? (end)
Robert ,   San Diego   (02.11.09)
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