Israel Election Final Count: Knesset Mandate Battles Hang on Double Envelopes
As Israel finishes regular ballot counting, attention turns to double envelopes and mandate distribution. A single shift could determine the Knesset fate of figures like Eli Goldschmidt, Ram Ben Barak, and Moshe Radman.
With the regular ballot counting concluded, political attention in Israel has shifted to the double-envelope votes, surplus vote agreements, and the final distribution of Knesset mandates. In the current projected lineup, a shift of just a single mandate could determine the political fate of veteran figures, first-time activists, and notable candidates hanging on the edge.
In the Likud party, Eli Goldschmidt, a former Labor MK and ex-chair of key parliamentary committees, sits right on the border line at the 26th spot and is currently projected to enter the Knesset. Having shifted his political positions sharply to the right following the October 7 events, his return to politics after two decades is a major storyline. Immediately behind him is Erez Tadmor, a co-founder of Im Tirtzu and a former speechwriter for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hopes to transition from commentator to the parliamentary arena.
Within the BeYachad alliance, former Mossad deputy director and former Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Ram Ben Barak is in a vulnerable position, occupying the final safe spot under current results. Losing a mandate would deprive the faction of a prominent security figure just as defense issues take center stage.
The Democrats face a similar symbolic battle. Michal Rozin, a former Meretz MK known for her advocacy on civil rights, is currently inside the projected roster. Right behind her stands Moshe Radman Abutbul, a high-tech entrepreneur and a prominent leader of the protests against the judicial overhaul, who could transition from street activist to sitting lawmaker if the faction gains ground.
In Otzma Yehudit, Hanamel Dorfman, former chief of staff to National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, currently holds the seventh and final projected mandate, narrowly edging out party activist Tzahi Yitzhak Eliyahu. Meanwhile, Shas features a high-stakes internal battle as former Beit Shemesh mayor Moshe Abutbul currently makes the cut, while former Health Minister Uriel Buso remains outside.
