The near-final results of the elections give the Likud a most impressive victory, assigning the party 37 seats - more than the total of the next two largest parties. Labor dropped to 19 seats, the lowest in its history, while Shinui took over from Shas as the 3rd-largest party with 15 seats. Shas dropped from 17 to 11, viewing that as an achievement under the circumstances, while the 5th-largest party is the National Union, comprised of Moledet, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Tekumah, retaining its strength at 7 seats.
Other results: The religious parties National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism retained their strength of 5 seats each; Yisrael B'Aliyah of Natan Sharansky dropped from 4 to 2, while Am Echad of Amir Peretz climbed from 2 to 4. The three Arab parties dropped from a total of 10 to 9. Herut of Michael Kleiner and Baruch Marzel received only some 34,000 votes, more than 10,000 short of the required minimum to enter the Knesset.
Although many in and out of the Likud question whether the party can now be described as right-wing or centrist, given the recent tendencies of its leader Ariel Sharon in favor of a Palestinian state, the traditional labels give the right-wing a solid majority for the first time since 1977. The Likud's 37 MKs, plus the 30 seats of Shas, National Union, NRP, UTJ and Yisrael B'Aliyah, tilt the balance of power unambiguously in favor of the right-wing.
Other results: The religious parties National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism retained their strength of 5 seats each; Yisrael B'Aliyah of Natan Sharansky dropped from 4 to 2, while Am Echad of Amir Peretz climbed from 2 to 4. The three Arab parties dropped from a total of 10 to 9. Herut of Michael Kleiner and Baruch Marzel received only some 34,000 votes, more than 10,000 short of the required minimum to enter the Knesset.
Although many in and out of the Likud question whether the party can now be described as right-wing or centrist, given the recent tendencies of its leader Ariel Sharon in favor of a Palestinian state, the traditional labels give the right-wing a solid majority for the first time since 1977. The Likud's 37 MKs, plus the 30 seats of Shas, National Union, NRP, UTJ and Yisrael B'Aliyah, tilt the balance of power unambiguously in favor of the right-wing.