Netanyahu tops Israel vote despite losses: exit polls

Reuters ^ | 1/22/13 | Alistair Lyon

[Nachum]

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged the bruised winner of Israel's election on Tuesday, with his hawkish bloc unexpectedly losing ground to resurgent center-left challengers, exit polls showed.

They suggested the Israeli leader's Likud party, yoked with the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu group, would still be the biggest bloc in the 120-member assembly with 31 seats, 11 fewer than the 42 they held in the previous parliament.

If the exit polls compiled by three Israeli television channels prove correct, Netanyahu would be on course to secure a third term in office, perhaps leading a hardline coalition that would promote Jewish settlement on occupied land.

But his weakened showing in an election he himself called earlier than necessary could complicate the struggle to forge an alliance with a stable majority in parliament.

The projections showed right-wing parties with a combined strength of 61-62 seats against 58-59 for the center-left.

"According to the exit poll results, it is clear that Israel's citizens have decided that they want me to continue in the job of prime minister of Israel and to form as broad a government as possible," Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page.

[Nachum]

In your FACE Hussein! Bwahahahahahahaha

[Nachum]

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[ConservativeMan55]

He won but his party is weakened.

This isn’t an ideal situation but at least he won.

[Lurking Libertarian]

His parliamentary majority is going to be very shaky with only 61 or 62 seats— if he loses even one of the religious parties over any issue, he will be out of power.

[GeronL]

bump

[Arthurio]

Which makes him LESS likely to cut some grand State Department-endorsed “peace” deal.

[proudpapa]

I wonder how much time energy and resources the Obama team put into undermining this election.

[onyx]

"I want to thank the millions of citizens of Israel exercising the democratic right today. From results of samples some general Israel clearly stated that they want to continue to serve as Prime Minister of Israel, a Government vsharchiv generally possible.

The results observed are a great opportunity for many changes for the benefit of all citizens of Israel. Elections behind us and challenges us in many and complex. Already the evening begin to assemble the broadest possible government efforts."

Bibi @ his Facebook (Bing translation from Hebrew)

[MinuteGal]

I'll bet a dollar to a bagel that ole Serpenthead himself, James Carville, was again lending his talents these past many month inside Israel to defeat Bibi.

The same as he did behind the scenes when he was a paid consultant to elect Labor Party candidate, Ehud Barak, over Netanyahu a number of years back.

The anti-Israel Hillary controls Carville

Leni

[Blackyce]

“His parliamentary majority is going to be very shaky with only 61 or 62 seats— if he loses even one of the religious parties over any issue, he will be out of power.”

He wouldn’t be out of power. It would likely just force another election. I think he’s probably just going to try to bring the moderate parties into government. There’s no way he wants to have to rely on the welfare hungry religious parties to stay in power. The exit polls show the coalition partners have 62 votes this time, down from the 66 votes they had when Kadima left the coalition last year. That’s enough to keep control of government, but for the stake of stability Netanyahu needs to work at a deal with the new moderate party or there’ll be another set of elections by the summer.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Exit polls.

IOW - bullcrap.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[goldstategop]

If the soldiers’ vote and surplus vote comes in the Likud could get an extra two to three seats:

A coalition government would look like this:

Likud 34, Yesh Atid 20, Jewish Home 13 = 66 seats - a comfortable center-right Zionist majority. If Shas 12 and UTJ 6 join, Netanyahu could command a coaltion of up to 84 seats, not dependent on any one party. If Labor decides to join, it could be over 100 seats.

[KC_Lion]

Onyx,

I just spoke briefly with my Mother. She is so happy Netanyahu hung on.

Because she really didn't give me any details I went to Google Israeli Elections and the first thing that can up was from the Washington POSpost and it said Netanyahu emerges weakened from Israeli elections

That was not the vibe I got talking to my mother.

Just proves the leftist media in the country is even more vile than I thought.

People like Bibi allow them to post their vile hate speech.

I often ponder if those stupid people ever realize that and wonder what Color Hijab they or their wives/daughters/etc would look best in?

[Lurking Libertarian]

Likud went into this election with 42 seats and emerged with 31. Hard to say that’s not “weakened.”

[Lurking Libertarian]

Likud 34, Yesh Atid 20, Jewish Home 13 = 66 seats - a comfortable center-right Zionist majority. If Shas 12 and UTJ 6 join, Netanyahu could command a coaltion of up to 84 seats, not dependent on any one party.

If I understand correctly, Yesh Atid is basically a single-issue "draft the haredim" party, so it would be hard to see them in a coalition with Shas & UTJ, but stranger things have happened in the world of Israeli coalition building.

[KC_Lion]

I know, but what I am saying is that the Media delights in any loses Bibi sustains.

If he were a raging leftist you would see "Netanyahu grows stronger despite collation set back"

or some such nonsense.

The left looks out for there own. But the Islamists would Gibbet them as fast as any of us.

[Former Fetus]

That’s exactly what I was thinking! And, hopefully, it would mean annexation of Judea and Samaria!!