Exit Polls: A Squeaker for Livni?

The polls just closed in Israel (3 pm Washington time) and thus the television channels were able to publish their exit polling. Now all three exit polls show a narrow Kadima win, with Likud a close second. Very close though, and it looks as if Labor may run fourth, behind Yisrael Beitenu. But exit polls aren't perfectly reliable when things are this closely run, so let's see the final results.

The Jerusalem Post has already envisioned a situation in which the party winning the most seats might not be given the mandate to try first to form a government; ironically Kadima could have the most seats but the right could have enough total seats across several parties to block a majority. Certainly if things are as close as the exit polls suggest, a national unity government might look likelier.

I'll analyze at greater length when the results are clearer.