LIVE UPDATES: The Israeli Election
Who will head the new government?
See new post Israeli Election Results (LIVE)
It’s election day in Israel.
We’ll be updating this post until the polls close at 4 p.m. with tweets, videos, and updates from Israel. At that point, we will have a new Results post.
There also is a custom Twitter feed at the bottom of the post.
You can watch live news updates from Israel here, via i24 News.
Fox 45 has a really interesting breakdown of Israel’s elections, and the state of the Likud party, and you can watch it here:
Keep an eye on this Twitter timeline for updates from those in the know.
Tweets from https://twitter.com/LegInsurrection/lists/israel-election-2015
Updates
Israel is currently seeing the highest voter turnout since 1999. By 10 a.m. local time, the count was already up over 2% from the last election. (Update to the update—by 2 pm, turnout had dipped to just below last election’s levels at 37%.)
Polls close at 10 p.m. (4 p.m. E.D.T.), and at that time the government will release initial exit polls. The count, however, will continue through the night.
I wonder who Benjamin Netanyahu voted for…
VIDEO: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu votes in Israeli election http://t.co/pOFfcz8EWs
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 17, 2015
PM Netanyahu was slated to make a statement at 5:45 local time, but a judge banned the broadcast:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to make a public statement around 5:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. E.D.T.) But Salim Joubran, a judge on the Supreme Court of Israel and the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, forbade any live broadcast of the statement on television or radio, according to a Twitter post by Ben Caspit, a leading Israeli political commentator.
It was not clear what the prime minister intended to say in the statement. Campaign laws in Israel generally ban open campaigning on Election Day, and the judge presumably acted on that basis.
השופט ג'ובראן אסר על שידור דבריו של ראש הממשלה בטלויזיה וברדיו.
— Ben Caspit (@BenCaspit) March 17, 2015
WaPo has an interesting take on an alternative route to power for Netanyahu:
Here's a good WaPo primer on how a v narrow Labor "win" probably means another Netanyahu term http://t.co/cUGoXNbA8i
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) March 17, 2015
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Comments
Praying for Benjamin Netanyahu this morning and for the rest of the day.
I firmly believe that he is the man that the Lord chose for this hour and I pray that Israel agrees.
Now that the WH is involved in the Israeli elections, liberal/arab areas are going to show 110% turnouts.
Amy and Professor Jacobson: Thank you for running this thread today. We’ll be logged in here all day.
I’ll second that notion. This will be my primary source for news of the Israeli election.
Go, Bibi!
Ditto.
Wow, it is amazing how racist Netanyahu really is! He has his panties in a bunch over how many Israeli Arabs (citizens with the right to vote) are actually voting in the election.
Netanyahu: “what’s wrong is not that Arab citizens are voting, but that massive funds from abroad from left-wing NGOs and foreign governments is bringing them en masse to the polls in an organized way, thus twisting the true will of all Israeli citizens who are voting, for the good of the left.”
So, really, you lied.
Plus, you moron, Jews are often Semites, just like Arabs. Cousins from WAY back.
But, thanks for the demonstration!
How I love a good troll-thrashing. Nicely done, Rags.
Any fan of Rags’s comnments must be on the same intellectual level…
you know, I have seen “progressive” commenters come and go here and I have noticed one common thread among them…..they all cannot argue logically, they resort to trolling to get tempers flared. Do us all a favor, if you can’t argue facts then keep your trap closed!
“they all cannot argue logically, they resort to trolling to get tempers flared. Do us all a favor, if you can’t argue facts then keep your trap closed”
Did you even read what I wrote, or the comment I was responding to (from Rags)?
My argument is that demonizing a minority population for exercising their rights to vote is wrong, and can be seen as racist. I am not the only person who has expressed this opinion.
My comment to creeper was to highlight how he had sunk to the level of Rags’s insulting response to me.
Oh, I assure you I am not always a fan of Ragspierre. We have gotten croswise more than once. Right, Rags?
The point is not that minorities are voting. It is that they are being manipulated by foreign governments. That’s appalling.
Oh, and BTW, I’m a girl.
“My argument is that demonizing a minority population for exercising their rights to vote is wrong, and can be seen as racist. I am not the only person who has expressed this opinion.”
Except for the fact that is not what Netanyahu did. He complained of outside interference in the Israeli election. Get back to us when those groups promote everyone voting.
You are a liar.
“Israel is currently seeing the highest voter turnout since 1999.”
So the busses are rolling. Welcome to our world, Israel.
“Except for the fact that is not what Netanyahu did. He complained of outside interference in the Israeli election. Get back to us when those groups promote everyone voting.”
But higher turnout is always a good thing in elections. There is no downside to higher turnout among legal voters, and the upside is that it would make the final result more likely to match the “true will” of the electorate, to use Bibi’s words.
“The point is not that minorities are voting. It is that they are being manipulated by foreign governments. That’s appalling.
Oh, and BTW, I’m a girl.”
My apology, I just assumed you were male.
Can you state how the minorities are being manipulated? Are you suggesting the Arab-Israelis would have voted Likud if they did not have a ride to the polls? I doubt that would have been the case.
“Can you state how the minorities are being manipulated?”
Yes, I can. But I won’t bother. I haven’t the time to waste on someone as disingenuous as you. I’m old and I recognize what you are…an argumentative troll who isn’t worth the effort.
“Yes, I can. But I won’t bother. I haven’t the time to waste on someone as disingenuous as you. I’m old and I recognize what you are…an argumentative troll who isn’t worth the effort.”
Why was it worth the effort to write this response at all then?
Ah, Rags: the most impolite of internet commenters!
Whites and Blacks came from common ancestors, and yet racism is possible between them…
Anyway, what could possibly be wrong with providing transportation to voters on election day? Would you rather “those people” just not vote at all?
You want “polite”?
Don’t come here lying. I’ll crush you like a bug every time I catch you doing it, you puke.
You invoked “racist”. There are recognized races within the ambit of humanity.
What I said is true.
So, now you’re lying AGAIN with your disingenuous bullshit. But we expect no better.
Your insults are childish, and thus I welcome your attempt to “crush [me] like a bug”: I would rather not have you on my side of any argument with behavior like that.
I find that the authors on this website, whom I do not always agree with, at least argue without resorting to insults or childish behavior. I thank any other commenters who can find it in their hearts to act in the same manner…
You come here and make shit up and then expect to be treated “nicely”.
Fuck you, you are just another liar making up BS.
Intentionally or not, your posts drip with condescension, sarcasm, and concern-trolling. You get the response you earn.
Yet somehow I did not get that response from you. You were able to keep your inner child in check and write out a rational response to me without using insults. Rags is unable to do this basic task.
I condescend to Rags because I cannot lower myself to his level. I appreciate that I do not have to do the same to you.
I thought up a further response to your comment. How do you feel about how Rags responds to my comments? Would you consider criticizing him for his insults as you criticize me for my sarcasm? I’m just curious if you agree with me about being polite.
Some people are just polite, they cannot help themselves. Some of us long ago discovered liars like you depend upon our politeness to keep pushing their lies and bullshit, so we drop the politeness.
You are a scourge on humanity, no better than a disease.
“I condescend to Rags because I cannot lower myself to his level. I appreciate that I do not have to do the same to you.”
Well, perhaps you better start, because I also think you’re an asshole, but that fact wasn’t relevant to my last post.
“My argument is that demonizing a minority population for exercising their rights to vote is wrong, and can be seen as racist. I am not the only person who has expressed this opinion.”
You made no such “argument”. You told a lie.
Bibi is NOT “demonizing” anyone. That is STILL ANOTHER lie.
As your Collective demonstrates constantly, ANYTHING “can be seen as racist”. I showed how stupid your assertion (which is NOT an argument) was. They almost always are.
“I’m among many” is a fallacy. It is also NOT an argument. I’m sure your lies were not original to you. You are simply regurgitating lying-points you found in the moonbattery.
Post your links, please.
Netanyahu: “what’s wrong is not that Arab citizens are voting, but that massive funds from abroad from left-wing NGOs and foreign governments is bringing them en masse to the polls in an organized way, thus twisting the true will of all Israeli citizens who are voting, for the good of the left.”
How about this then: Bibi states that high-Arab turnout distorts the “true will of all Israeli citizens”. Since Arab-Israelis are in fact citizens, their voting cannot in any way distort the “true will” of the electorate (they are part of that electorate). In fact, the higher the turnout, the more likely that the “true will” of the electorate will be expressed. Thus, Bibi has lied.
Bibi states that high-Arab turnout distorts the “true will of all Israeli citizens”.
—————————–
He says no such thing, you lying POS.
Netanyahu: “what’s wrong is …that massive funds from abroad from left-wing NGOs and foreign governments is bringing them en masse to the polls in an organized way, thus twisting the true will of all Israeli citizens who are voting, for the good of the left.”
If high Arab voting rates were NOT the design and effect of interests OUTSIDE of Israel whose INTENT is to warp the election results, Bibi would have nothing to say.
He deplores the influence of the NON-Isreali…or, indeed, the ANTI-Israeli…outsiders.
That is what he said. Or are you reading his mind?
“If high Arab voting rates were NOT the design and effect of interests OUTSIDE of Israel whose INTENT is to warp the election results,”
But my point is that high voter turnout cannot possible warp the election results, since the voters who are turning out are all legal voters. If anything, higher turnout (no matter who is supporting it) would make the results that much more legitimate and thus they would further approximate the “true will” of the Israeli people.
Do you have a theory about how higher turnout would mean a less-legitimate result? Does anyone?
The anti-Israeli outsiders are trying to distort the election results by buying votes, just like you lefty’s do when you buy cigarettes or pay money to voters and bus them to the polls.
Get back to us when the outsiders are promoting voting. We know who the groups are, they are Jew haters. Like You. Asshole and a liar.
“The anti-Israeli outsiders are trying to distort the election results by buying votes, just like you lefty’s do when you buy cigarettes or pay money to voters and bus them to the polls.”
1.) Do you have any evidence that votes are being bought? Providing transportation to the polls doesn’t seem like much incentive.
2.) Are you suggesting that Arab-Israelis would have voted for Bibi if “outside groups” had not interfered? I doubt many Arabs would have voted Likud…
Without the race card – Liberals would cease to exist.
“I condescend to Rags because I cannot lower myself to his level.”
What a terrible conceit for a demonstrated liar to affect.
“That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain—”
In the world in which I earned my living for decades, people like you were beaten into the ground. They learned to improve.
Lying isn’t “polite”. And I won’t tolerate it.
I am glad you made it out of that world alive, sounds like the Marines or something…
“Do you have a theory about how higher turnout would mean a less-legitimate result? Does anyone?”
How interesting. Now you’re shifting to a NEW lie, and employing NEW nomenclature.
“Legitimate” was never part of your PREVIOUS lies, was it, you lying SOS?
And NOBODY has suggested that “legitimacy” was in question. Have they, liar?
But, yes!, assuredly, there are various ways an election can be made to be LESS REPRESENTATIVE of a population.
Aren’t there, you lying POS?
“But, yes!, assuredly, there are various ways an election can be made to be LESS REPRESENTATIVE of a population.”
But increasing voter turnout always makes the election more representative rather than less, and increasing turnout is the one thing that Bibi was complaining about. He didn’t say foreign groups were buying votes or anything like that, he said they were busing Arabs to the polls and organizing “get out the vote” campaigns.
“But increasing voter turnout always makes the election more representative rather than less”
No. That is ANOTHER obvious lie. And, of course, you know it.
That is why your Collective works so hard to suppress conservative voting and foster Collectivist turn-out. You can queer an election by manipulating the NORM of voter turn-out.
As well you know. All this is pure bullshit from you. And now my part of demonstrating who and what you are is over. At least for a time.
Are you suggesting that groups in Israel are suppressing the conservative vote? Even Bibi did not go that far!
Do you have any links to the suppression of conservative votes that I could read?
Sure.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=military+vote+suppression&qs=n&form=QBRE&pq=military+vote+suppr&sc=5-18&sp=-1&sk=&cvid=32f2f99e97ba463f8a1a369902541054
That will get you started.
Netanyahu “what’s wrong is not that Arab citizens are voting, but that massive funds from abroad from left-wing NGOs and foreign governments is bringing them en masse to the polls in an organized way, thus twisting the true will of all Israeli citizens who are voting, for the good of the left.””
““Legitimate” was never part of your PREVIOUS lies, was it, you lying SOS”
As you can see from your earlier response to me, legitimacy is what Bibi is concerned about. He says that Arab-Israeli voting is twisting the “true will” of the electorate. This is an argument about legitimacy. If the “true will” were not expressed, the election is not legitimate.
My argument is that bringing people to the polls in an organized way is a way to increase the legitimacy of the election, not decrease it, because higher turnout always increases legitimacy.
No, stupid. “Legitimacy” of an election is a term bearing on its legality.
As I pointed out…and you ignored…REPRESENTIVENESS is not the same.
Where are your links to the moonbattery sites where you got your bullshit?
“No, stupid. “Legitimacy” of an election is a term bearing on its legality. As I pointed out…and you ignored…REPRESENTIVENESS is not the same.”
Really? Your argument is now based on semantics? The story below is about the efforts of the Goldwater Institute (a conservative establishment) to increase turnout. They wish to confer added legitimacy on the resulting government, which I see as also conferring legitimacy on the election itself. If the actual technical definition of the word is slightly different, so what?
“http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/mad-about-low-voter-turnout-get-even-20141017”
“”This is good if you think turnout itself conveys legitimacy, or increasing turnout makes elections more representative of the majority will,” says Chris Berry, a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago.”
BIBI STAYS
—Drudge
Heh!
Suck it, ScamWOW.
“Really? Your argument is now based on semantics?”
Well, no, you lying SOS. It was not I who moved the goal-posts, and introduced inapposite terms.
Words mean things, and if you’re going to use them, learn how.
Would I support a system that screened out people who were too stupid or ignorant to cast a vote determinative of an important issue? Sure.
You? I’ve asked you several questions, and you’ve run like a bitch.
Everybody sees you. And we’re laughing.
“Would I support a system that screened out people who were too stupid or ignorant to cast a vote determinative of an important issue? Sure. You? I’ve asked you several questions, and you’ve run like a bitch.”
You are in support of poll tests, got it. Who would you trust to administer those tests, the Obama administration?
The “bitch” comment was a nice, sexist touch, too.
“But higher turnout is always a good thing in elections. There is no downside to higher turnout among legal voters…”
Would that that canard were true.
It isn’t. Many voters are completely ignorant of issues, as has been demonstrated empirically many, many times.
Is it a “good thing” to have important matters decided by people who have no clue about them? Is that how you’d run your life? Your business? Your town?
What if part of your voting population actually contains people who are open enemies of your nation? Would you support a 100% turn-out from The German American Bund during the days prior to WWII? They absolutely had a right to vote. What if Nazi funds rented the buses?
“But higher turnout is always a good thing in elections. There is no downside to higher turnout among legal voters…”
And there isn’t, provided that every group of legal voters has equal access to vast funding and logistical support from outside political organizations with axes to grind. One or more of which, tragically, may be fronts for the Obama administration, funded by US taxpayer dollars. And surely said admin is not dealing those dollars out equitably.
“And there isn’t, provided that every group of legal voters has equal access to vast funding and logistical support from outside political organizations with axes to grind. One or more of which, tragically, may be fronts for the Obama administration, funded by US taxpayer dollars. And surely said admin is not dealing those dollars out equitably”
You are acting like Likud does not have its own infrastructure and “get out the vote” options. Bibi is a grown man and Likud is a mature political party, I am sure they can solve the problem of getting their own voters to the polls.
Either way, increased voter participation always means a more legitimate election, regardless of who is getting out who’s vote.
“Either way, increased voter participation always means a more legitimate election, regardless of who is getting out who’s vote.”
That is a stupid, vacant statement of your opinion.
Plus, you are just insisting on misusing “legitimate”. But, really, all you’re doing is playing the old troll game of just keeping a ball of shit in the air.
Stupid. And corrupt.
Disprove it then.
Disprove your stupid, vacant opinion?!?!
BWWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHA…!!!
Whadda moron. And such a great representative of your Collective.
Excellent!
“Many voters are completely ignorant of issues, as has been demonstrated empirically many, many times. Is it a “good thing” to have important matters decided by people who have no clue about them?”
“What if part of your voting population actually contains people who are open enemies of your nation? Would you support a 100% turn-out from The German American Bund during the days prior to WWII? They absolutely had a right to vote. What if Nazi funds rented the buses?”
Wow, what is the solution then? How do you solve the problem of all of those voters voting (even the Nazis!)? Seriously, I need to have your answer, this is too good a chance to pass up!
This line of thinking is getting close to concluding that we must actively prevent certain people from voting! Since you obviously endorse Likud in the current election, can I read your answer to say that you would try to prevent the Arab-Israelis from exercising their right to vote?
For me, I think the “solution” is voter education. This starts with the public school system and continues with rigorous debate of the issues in public (as happens in our elections here in the States). I am against any plan to prevent “undesirables” from voting…
For me, I think the “solution” is voter education. This starts with the public school system and continues with rigorous debate of the issues in public…
______________________________________
Or, you want to keep doing what has empirically failed for the last several decades. More and more as time has elapsed.
Yep. You’re a Collectivist. Not a new idea in your crap-packed skull.
How about giving your opinion on what to do, or is it limited to knowledge tests administered by the current government?
No, honeee. THAT’s YOUR straw man.
I am against any plan to prevent “undesirables” from voting…
_________________________________________
How ’bout driving?
Owning a gun?
Buying explosives?
Holding high public office?
Practicing medicine, law, accounting?
Living legally in the U.S.?
“How ’bout driving? … Living legally in the U.S.?”
False equivalence on all counts. Different activities are different, and thus we treat them differently. For instance, there is no knowledge test for owning a gun in most states, even though guns can be used to kill rather easily.
Wow, you can’t tell the truth about ANYTHING, huh…???
“I am against any plan to prevent “’undesirables’” from…”
Whadda piece of SHIT…!!!
I really object the way you characterized the Prime Minister. “Panties in a bunch?” There is no need to talk about him like that.
If Israel votes Netanyahu out of office it will be signing its own death certificate.
Sorry John, I down voted you by mistake. And LI will not allow a correction, which I find extremely cheap.
You are 100% correct.
Herzog’s election won’t make the least difference to the Arabs at all. They’ve already made that statement. In fact Hamas published a statement that Herzog and any left leaning government would be WORSE than Netanyahu because it assumes endless talks going nowhere.
History shows the futility of TRYING to have peace with Islamists…especially the history of Israel.
To borrow a phrase from the movie “Big Trouble in Little China,” there is the hell of endless talks. Perhaps supplied with 72 virgins growing older, as the talks proceed without resolution.
Bibi will pull it off.
Israeli pre-election analysis (including best and worst moves made by the candidates)
http://knessetjeremy.com/2015/03/16/2015-knesset-jeremy-election-phase-1-prediction-analysis
http://knessetjeremy.com/2015/03/17/2015-knesset-jeremy-election-phase-2-prediction-analysis
So Obama is using our taxes to send over a team to manipulate the election against Bibi. His team uses busing, just like he funded unions over here so they can send out teams to drive huge turnout in the black areas.
I’d imagine the Arabs are told how to vote, or even paid, like they do over here. Hopefully they have to show ID, and no one can stuff ballot boxes like D’s can here, as caught on video in this case.
http://www.wnd.com/2014/10/video-man-stuffs-hundreds-of-ballots-into-box/
Since “electioneering” or intimidation is not legal close to polling places, the whole idea of rounding up people to escort them to polls seems to break the spirit of the law on influence, especially if enticements can’t be monitored. If there are numbers to call for rides that might be different, if they are equally available to everyone.
But a real problem with “democracy”, is people either too ignorant of issues to vote, or too willing to vote for free stuff, can undermine the whole concept. For communists and leftists that is a feature, not a bug. Especially when they can use buses to harvest votes from people that would otherwise not bother, because they really don’t care.
Well-hell-hell…
LOOKS like Bibi will be forming the new cabinet.
Maybe they can investigate any U.S. tax money used against him in this election.
Heh!