At first glance, the results of this week’s Israeli general election may seem puzzling. Two figures, in particular, could give the wrong impression. First, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud emerged comfortably as the largest party in the Knesset, winning 26 seats, compared with 21 for its main rival, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party, which had been expected to lead the pack. Second, the Netanyahu-led bloc, with 53 seats, outperformed Eisenkot’s bloc, which secured only 48. On the face of it,
