The Israeli election results are far more exciting than expected. Yesh Atid (There is a future) led by Yair Lapid has captured 19 seats. This is gobsmacking. It means a centre-left party holds much more power than expected. The most likely scenario (as of now) is a Bibi-led coalition with a thorn of centre-left in his side. As of tonight it appears the Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) and the upstart Bennett-led Jewish Home Party don't have enough seats to join Bibi to form a right wing-Haredi government.
Secular leftist Israelis are optimistic that they will see a more centrist government in 2013. (How long it will last is another question altogether.) If the Haredi parties are excluded from the coalition, there may be a real opportunity to reform some serious social policy issues in Israel. As for progress on the Palestinian issue, well, that's less clear.
For now, we wait -- until President Peres asks a coalition to be formed sometime next week. Until then, the pundits will be busy with predictions.
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