Haggling

Knesset Members and would-be Knesset Members are haggling. In the Israeli "proportional" system one votes for parties, and to be a Member of Knesset one has to have a "high enough mumber" on your list.

After all of the changes that have taken place in the political party constilation, it's harder to predict how many seats each party will get and even more important, there has never been so much party-switching and changing. Amir Peretz as Labour's new party leader has brought in "his people" who are being promised "safe seats" at the expense of veteran members, some of whom are switching to Kadima, which is popular in the polls.

It's also "haggling" that's holding up the merger between the National Religious Party and the National Union. Honestly, I hope that they learn to conquer their personal egos and do what's best for the country and merge. I don't think that the NRP will get too many votes on their own. Their old "breakaway" Tekuma and Moledet are much more attractive to the voters.

Stay tuned...