After
weeks of wrangling and infighting, surprises and splits, all the parties that plan to run for
seats in the19th Knesset have filed the names of their candidates. As
of the Thursday night 10 PM deadline for filing, 34 parties had
submitted lists, and received authorization from the National Election
Commission to run for office.
Three contenders remain competing over the trust of voters to form and lead the next government, as the rest would seek to strengthen their base and political leverage as part of the next coalition government.
The
Likud expressed satisfaction with the divide on the Left, saying that
“the games of personal ego on the Left will result in an easy Likud
victory.”
While the Likud Beitenu and the Jewish Home generate 50+ seats, according to public opinion polls, Labor,
Yesh Atid, Kadima and The Tzipi Livni Party will each run separately
and compete for the remaining votes on the Center- Left. Polls on Thursday continued
to find that the four parties running separately would win fewer votes
than Netanyahu and Avigdor Liberman’s joint list.
