No one has won. They are now counting the actual votes. Tzipi has a two seat edge in the exit polls but a swing of one seat makes it a tie. Bibi is expected to win the army and seamen vote which comes in at the end. Also because of a screwup Tzipi’s surplus vote deal is wth the Greens which won’t have any surplus to give. Bibi could pick up a seat here.
Everyone’s talking as if Bibi has the best chance of forming a government because Shas, the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party, plus Lieberman, the rising right-wing party, will go with him. The election was called because Tzipi said to no to Shas’s attempt to extort bigger handouts for ultra-Orthodox families, who are notorious freeloaders. Warning that Bibi was going to capitulate to Shas won Tzipi a lot of support. The plot thickened when the Shas leader called Lieberman “satan.” Tonight he said he would exact revenge on them, meaning he may block their way to a government. If that’s the case Bibi does not have an advantage over Tzipi.
The result may be a rotating government with Bibi and Tzipi which worked for Shamir and Peres in the 80s who also finished in a virtual dead heat.
Very informative, thank you.