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It ain't over 'til it's over

Reader comment on item: Who Won in Israel's Elections?

Submitted by Ken Besig (Israel), Feb 12, 2009 at 06:15

Dr. Pipes, the election in Israel is far from over, there are still over a hundred thousand ballots to be counted, and that means up to five Knesset seats are still up for grabs. And those hundred thousand ballots won't even be looked at for another week. So legally and technically, neither the Likud nor Kadima has "won" anything yet.

By the way, those hundred thousand ballots are from soldiers, hospitalized individuals, and Foreign Ministry overseas workers, and the experts here believe that between three and five new Knesset seats will be added to the Likud list when these ballots are finally counted.

Regarding Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu Party, you are correct, they made a big time hit with their anti Israeli Arab message with the demand that Israeli Arabs be required to take a loyalty oath to the State of Israel in order to keep their citizenship, their countenancing of civil marriage as opposed to Jewish religious marriage here in Israel and finally the Lieberman Party also scored big by championing making conversion to Judaism in Israel easier than the process is now. And the chances of him being able to implement any part of his program with either the Likud or the Kadima Parties are between slim and none, and slim's left town.

Mr. Lieberman voiced sentiments which are widely held in the Russian Israeli community which is largely irreligious but is extremely nationalist, and among Israelis who are extremely nationalist but who take his anti religious posturing as just that and nothing more.

Dr. Pipes, I invite you to take a look at the election results next week when they are really and finally in, and I think that you will find the Israeli political map far different from what it appears to be today.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

I am replying on February 19, exactly a week after this comment was sent, and nothing has changed, not a single seat has moved from one party to another.

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Reader comments (30) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Lieberman [19 words]Jon PurizhanskyFeb 20, 2009 18:14150895
BRITAIN, UP TO ITS NECK IN ISLAMOGROVELLING MIRE. [158 words]gordon weareFeb 16, 2009 14:36150590
Don't Look for "Solutions" [121 words]BernieFeb 13, 2009 16:24150403
Who won? [197 words]MauriceFeb 13, 2009 11:50150388
New Hope for Israel! Lieberman has good solution. [203 words]Ms. AnneFeb 12, 2009 18:11150339
I'm in favor of any candidate who... [13 words]Edward RosenblattFeb 12, 2009 12:46150320
The Headline Shouldn't Begin "WHO WON...?" [8 words]orange yonasonFeb 12, 2009 10:29150312
It ain't over 'til it's over [300 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ken BesigFeb 12, 2009 06:15150297
It's still not over til its over [91 words]David SternlightFeb 12, 2009 17:54150297
And Ms. Livni . . . [14 words]orange yonasonFeb 12, 2009 23:09150297
Lieberman's win in Israeli elections [135 words]Ghulam MuhammedFeb 12, 2009 01:56150293
putting up fences [161 words]Rebecca MouldsFeb 11, 2009 23:30150287
Incorrect claim of victory [157 words]David SternlightFeb 11, 2009 21:05150282
Beiteinu Party [55 words]Dan RusenFeb 11, 2009 19:37150278
Beiteinu Party- Totally agree--Have the guts to stand up for truth!---response to Dan Rusen [172 words]DeborahFeb 14, 2009 10:54150278
Loyalty of Arabs living in Israel [175 words]Janusz KowalikFeb 11, 2009 18:59150275
A pointless exhibition [41 words]Abu NudnikFeb 12, 2009 17:55150275
Israel's Grotesque System of Governance [827 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Prof. Paul EidelbergFeb 11, 2009 18:41150273
Not grotesque [26 words]LynnFeb 12, 2009 10:27150273
Unfair voting wouldn't help [44 words]Wayne SmithFeb 15, 2009 06:16150273
Israel Election Pie: Watch Out Canada [78 words]Edmund Onward JamesFeb 11, 2009 18:09150270
Lieberman is so very right! [66 words]vigilantFeb 11, 2009 18:07150268
Dr. Pipes, What is the solution to this issue you speak of? [82 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
John DouglasFeb 11, 2009 17:38150266
miasmatic [271 words]John W. McGinleyFeb 11, 2009 17:31150265
The Religious Root(s) Of The Problem [109 words]orange yonasonFeb 12, 2009 14:05150265
Dealing with the moslems [53 words]Doug CorriganFeb 13, 2009 07:19150265
Not Completely Correct [51 words]Ariel HolzerFeb 11, 2009 17:30150264
We Won! [160 words]Ariel Ben YochananFeb 11, 2009 17:19150262
1The Israeli Moslems have the perfect situation -- life in a US-subsidized Western democracy AND impending reconquest [149 words]Charles MartelFeb 11, 2009 16:26150258
Let's agree to hate hate [285 words]ArchimedesFeb 11, 2009 16:09150254

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