Yisrael Beiteinu activists gathered for the festive convention at the Vida reception hall in Ashdod, marking the conclusion of the election campaign. Addressing the audience, Yehiel Lasri (Likud), the mayor of the hosting city, ceremoniously declared: “Forging an alliance between the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, we have established a political superpower.” At precisely the same time, it was reported on the 8:00 p.m. news that according to an updated public-opinion poll, the “united power” was expected to garner 32 mandates — 10 fewer than the total number each of the two separate parties had in the outgoing Knesset — the 27 Likud mandates plus the 15 mandates of Yisrael Beiteinu.

So what’s wrong here? Or is there nothing really wrong, and everything is working fine for the merged party? To be sure, Likud-Beiteinu is still the largest party and it will be the one invited by the president and assigned the task of forming the government.

The atmosphere among the 600 supporters of the two parties packing the conference hall in Ashdod reflected the inherently complex nature of the recently established joint party of Likud-Beiteinu. The air of festive ceremony on stage was in sharp contrast to the confusion in the audience.

Even the way the supporters and activists were seated in the hall mirrored the flimsiness of the alliance between the two parties. The Likud members sat on white plastic chairs under the numerous flags of Israel adorning the hall on one side, while the members of Yisrael Beiteinu occupied the other — the Hebrew speakers on one side and the Russian speakers apart. Technically together, but actually, each by itself.