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Inside Israel

Likud back on top of right wing

Final vote count bumps Bibi?s party up, Israel Beiteinu down


By Stan Goodenough
March 31, 2006

The Likud Party led by Binyamin Netanyahu is still the biggest party on the right side of Israel?s political spectrum.

This was revealed Thursday evening after the last votes from soldiers and diplomats were tallied.

Earlier it appeared as if the Israel Beiteinu party of Avigdor Lieberman had inched past the Likud into the top spot on the right.

But the final count added a seat to the Likud and took a seat away from Israel Beiteinu. Kadima and Meretz also each gained a seat while the Shas and Ra?am-Ta?al parties each lost one.

The final results are as follows:

  1. Kadima 29
  2. Labor 19
  3. Shas 12
  4. Likud 12
  5. Israel Beiteinu 11
  6. National Union-National Religious Party 9
  7. Pensioners' Party 7
  8. United Torah Judaism 6
  9. Meretz 5
  10. Ra'am-Ta'al 4
  11. Hadash 3
  12. Balad 3

After the figures were announced the leftist Israeli daily Ha?aretz crowed that ?this guarantees Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a majority among Zionist parties in the Knesset for his plan to withdraw from the West Bank.?

Pundits are cautioning however that it is still to early to jump to that conclusion. Efforts to form a coalition are set to continue in the coming days.

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