Everyone awaits word from Kulanu’s Kahlon

TEL AVIV — Almost an hour and a half after initial exit polls were announced, Kulanu party headquarters remain half-empty, and the enthusiasm feels forced.

“Most of the activists are out in the rest of the country,” a Kahlon party worker says.

Party leader Moshe Kahlon has yet to arrive, and his absence only contributes to the general lethargy.

The last surveys announced before Israelis cast their ballots predicted Kulanu would receive nine seats, and exit polls show the party may do slightly better; according to most they will receive 10, making Kahlon kingmaker ahead of coalition talks.

And the atmosphere of the election headquarters reflects that: the upstart party met its expectations, but did not shatter them. Everyone’s happy, but no one’s ecstatic.

So the dozens of party supporters must resort to schadenfreude.

“Channel 2 news is now reporting that Yesh Atid went down to 11 seats from the 13 they originally predicted,” a supporter tells the crowd.

“But we went to ten! It’s only going up!”

— Judah Ari Gross