Preliminary election results in Israel:


Kadima ("Forward", centre Zionist): 28 seats

Likud ("Consolidation", right-wing Zionist): 27 seats

Yisrael Beiteinu ("Israel is Our Home", moderate* Zionist): 15 seats

Avoda ("Labour", left-wing Zionist): 13 seats

Shas (Sephardi** Haredi*** Zionist): 11 seats

United Torah Judaism (Ashkenazi**** Haredi): 5 seats

National Union (national-religious Zionist): 4 seats

Hadash ("New", left-wing Jewish and Arab): 4 seats

United Arab List (right-wing Arab nationalist*****): 4 seats

Meretz ("Vigor", left-wing Zionist): 3 seats

Bayit Yehudi ("Jewish Home", national-religious Zionist): 3 seats

Balad (left-wing Arab nationalist): 3 seats



*I use "moderate" here in the same sense as the international community uses "moderate" when referring to the PLO or Fatah. Although Yisrael Beiteinu do not advocate a military solution to the presence of Arabs in Israel, the party does favour an Arab-free Israel much like "moderate" Arab parties favour a Jew-free "Palestinian" state. Yisrael Beiteinu are more right-wing than Likud but I will continue to use the term "moderate" as long as it the word is used to describe even more right-wing and militant Arab parties.

**Sephardim are Jews of mostly Arab origin. Shas' voters are mostly traditional (non-religious) middle-eastern Jews and Druze (Arab Israelis). Shas demands compensation for Jewish refugees.

***Haredim are traditional religious Jews (beard and black hat), sometimes called "ultra-orthodox" which is a misnomer as their religious beliefs are not necessarily different from modern orthodox Judaism or even Conservative or Reform Jews. The differentiation is lifestyle, not religion.

****Ashkenazim are European (literally "German") Jews. This is now mostly about religious tradition.

*****Looks like about half of the Israeli Arabs have voted Zionist again. Note that the United Arab List is not a "moderate" party. Internationally they do not align with Fatah, the PLO, or the Palestinian Authority, but with Hamas and Syria. The "Palestinian Cause" for them has to do with Syria, not "Palestine".