The incumbent Kadima Party did surprisingly well in yesterday’s Israeli elections, apparently winning more votes than favorite Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud. But, as I argue in my New Atlanticist piece, “Israeli Election: Netanyahu Loses, Right Wins,” that doesn’t mean that the forces of sanity won out.
Ironically, given that Lieberman holds the whip hand here, the most likely result is a government that is much more right-leaning than if Netanyahu had won outright. That’s perfectly understandable from the standpoint of an Israeli public frustrated after years of failed attempts to make peace with the Palestinian Authority. Unfortunately, it also virtually precludes that outcome, strengthening the hand of the Arab extremists.
Much more at the link.
