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 dropped from 4 to 2, while Amir Peretz's Am Echad party 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 just over 34,000 votes, some 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.
It is important to note that the votes of the soldiers have not yet been counted, because of the extra steps involved in ensuring the integrity of these votes. Each soldier places his or her vote inside an unmarked sealed envelope, as do all other voters, but then places that envelope inside another envelope marked with his or her name and ID number. Only after it is ascertained that the soldier did not vote elsewhere is the inside envelope delivered to another location for its vote to be tallied. In the last election, the National Union alliance and Meretz received an additional seat each after the soldiers' votes were counted, at the expense of Yisrael B'Aliyah and Labor.
The near-final results:
Likud - 37
Labor-Meimad - 19
Shinui - 15
Shas - 11
National Union - 7
Meretz - 6
United Torah Judaism - 5
National Religious Party - 5
Am Echad - 4
Yisrael B'Aliyah - 2
Arab parties - 9
Other results: The religious parties National Religious Party and United Torah Judaism retained their strength of 5 seats each; Yisrael B'Aliyah dropped from 4 to 2, while Amir Peretz's Am Echad party 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 just over 34,000 votes, some 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.
It is important to note that the votes of the soldiers have not yet been counted, because of the extra steps involved in ensuring the integrity of these votes. Each soldier places his or her vote inside an unmarked sealed envelope, as do all other voters, but then places that envelope inside another envelope marked with his or her name and ID number. Only after it is ascertained that the soldier did not vote elsewhere is the inside envelope delivered to another location for its vote to be tallied. In the last election, the National Union alliance and Meretz received an additional seat each after the soldiers' votes were counted, at the expense of Yisrael B'Aliyah and Labor.
The near-final results:
Likud - 37
Labor-Meimad - 19
Shinui - 15
Shas - 11
National Union - 7
Meretz - 6
United Torah Judaism - 5
National Religious Party - 5
Am Echad - 4
Yisrael B'Aliyah - 2
Arab parties - 9