March 3, 2006
Final election results in Israel have boosted the Kadima leader Ehud Olmert’s chances of forming an Israeli government that will support a withdrawal from the West Bank. Final tallies released on Thursday gave an extra seat each to the Kadima, Likud and Meretz parties, and took away one each from Shas, Yisrael Beiteinu and the United Arab List. That gives the pro-withdrawal parties Kadima, Labor, Pensioners and Meretz a numerical majority of 61 in the Knesset. According to the final results on Tuesday’s election, Kadima has won 29 seats, Labor 20, Shas and Likud 12 each, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, National Union-National Religious Party nine, the Pensioners Party seven, United Torah Judaism six, Meretz five, the United Arab List three, Hadash three and Balad three. The changes came after votes cast by soldiers, prison wardens, prisoners, hospital patients, the handicapped and foreign diplomats posted overseas had been counted as well.
