Israel at 9 AM

Here's The Times of Israel's headline and sub headline this morning: 'With almost 85% of votes counted, Likud-led bloc headed toward a clear victory According to current tally Netanyahu bloc has 65 seats, outgoing coalition at 50; some 500,000 ‘double envelopes’ still need to be tallied; Meretz and Balad below threshold.' It looks like all hinges on Balad's final count. If they make it over, that could change the outcome. There are still votes to count, soldiers, diplomats, etc,* but it looks like Bibi has done it. 

This is a government of right-wing Likud + several religious parties, the most controversial of which is Smotrich, Ben Gvir and the Religious Zionist Party. These are the religious nationalists known for their disdain of Arabs and the secular. Former(?) extremists, both Ben Gvir and the RZP were once considered terrorists by the Israeli government. The RZP also wants to rein in the Israeli judiciary, which they say is out of control. This government makes all the right enemies at home and abroad. Here's a report on Ben Gvir's speech last night, pretty bellicose, no?

We saw a headline this morning. Israel two nations, one state. That is, the religious Israel of Bibi and the right bloc, the party of Jerusalem. And the secular Israel, led by Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett. The party of Tel Aviv. 

The Israeli center is in disarray. Here a ToI report. Four years ago three center parties came together to form the Blue and Whites, which won 30 + seats in consecutive elections. In the deadlock that followed, Bibi persuaded Gantz to break away from the Blue and Whites and join his government. Israel needs a strong center party right now and it doesn't have it. Bennett and Lapid are Israel's future.

Last night Mrs. Stroock's Phillies routed the Houston Astros 7 nil. The Phillies are up two more home games in the seven game series with two more to play at home. Here's the crisis for Houston, the inflection point. Tonight we'll see what the Astros are made of.  We don't see how they come back from a three games to one deficit, even with the final two games in Houston. We shall see. 

*Do not think military votes translate to right-wing votes. The Haredi in Israel, more than a million people, have a religious exemption from military service. This causes intense friction in Israeli society, and one of the reasons this blog would like to see something like the Blue and Whites ascendent, someday.