As I watch the Israeli elections, it seems Tzipi Livni will head the largest party, Kadima.
At the beginning of the year, when Israel began its slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, I suggested to you that the entire Gaza exercise was nothing more than an election effort for Tzipi Livni, and so it seems to have turned out. 1300 people have died so that Tzipi Livni could become Prime Minister of Israel.
Good girl, Tzipi! Never let ethics get in the way of a good election result.
Of course, as usual in Israeli politics, Livni’s centrist, liberal-leaning 
party will need the support of Yisrael Beiteinu, the right-wing party led by Avigdor Lieberman, a former Moldovan night-club bouncer. I pause here to laugh grimly: the words centrist and liberal only have meaning in relation to Israeli citizens. An Israeli centrist, liberal party has no difficulty slaughtering Palestinian children because they aren’t really human in Israeli eyes.
As usual, Israel will be controlled by people without mercy for their fellow human beings.
Meanwhile, Bibi Netanyahu, a politician even more hawkish than Livni, continues to claim victory. He could be right. Predictions are based on exit polls, which don’t capture the military vote, and that vote would traditionally favour his right-wing Likud party.
Having said that, I always thought hard-liners are the best people to negotiate a peace. On balance, Netanyahu, for all his rhetoric, might be a better option than Livni to hammer out a deal.
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'How the mighty have fallen', hasn't occurred to her – yet.
And the answer is – No, she won't (which means, she won't form the government, or not on a sea of blood, pick your choice).
One of those cases where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Had she won, it would be because of the Gaza operation. Had she not, it would be because of the Gaza operation. It should occur to all non-Israeli readers, that Israelis took their choice based on many other issues, which explains why the main tough guy here, Defense minister Ehud Barak of the Labor party, saw his party shrink from 19 to 13 seats, despite (or because of, again choose your line) the Gaza op.
We'll likely see Netanyahu form a government, and I do hope your last prediction will come true, but I doubt it – Netanyahu and Hamas are unfortunately an explosive combination.
Ofer — It isn't so much a prediction as a speculation. I don't know what Netanyahu will do, but I think the hard-liners will have to buy into any peace deal for it to be viable.
Bock – that is true, and it worked with Menachem Begin on the Egypt peace, I suppose you're referring to that (and Gaza aside, you indeed show quite an accurate analysis of Israeli politics in this post). But I find it almost impossible for Netanyahu to hold any talks with Hamas, considering his previous declarations and more importantly – his party and coalition partners. You could perhaps expect to see some progress with Syria, or maybe, maybe, something based on the Arab peace initiative. But in any case – Livni's chances are low despite the good showing, as government forming in Israel is given to the one with higher chances for a coalition (i.e. more supporting parties), and that is (unfortunately, in my view) Netanyahu.
It seems to me that no Israeli government will ever be free of the lunatic right-wing and religious fringe parties dictating what they do.
Good News is that,from the papers this morning that Both sides won..
So thats nice..
Quote "The collapse of Labour, the party that founded the state of Israel, has major historical and political significance. It is proof of the impossibility of any longer pursuing the nationalist project of Zionism while advocating liberal or social democratic policies and a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian conflict. Labour has become ever more nakedly a party of war and social reaction, to the point where Ha'aretz columnist Doron Rosenblum wrote despairingly, "One thing is clear: Since the implosion of the Camp David talks, the Labour Party, under the inspiration of Ehud Barak, has become the most efficient, industrious entity to carry the water for the right-wing agenda on all practical matters, from settlement expansion to the rejection of peace negotiations to the launching of military operations."
The election also witnessed the virtual collapse of protest parties such as the Pensioners Party, which in 2006 had seven seats, and the Green Movement-Meimad. Both won just 1 percent of the vote, failing to meet the 2 percent threshold needed to gain a Knesset seat." (Chris Marsden, World Socialist Web Site)