Allison Kaplan Sommer, Noah Efron and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. What Just Happened?!? The votes are counted. What the hell just happened? The Via Media Given the alternative, is a coalition of the center and the Likud really such a bad idea after all? Getting Out of Bed in the Morning The Likud has led Israel for 30 of the past 42 years, and more are ahead. What reason does an Israeli leftist have to get out of bed? Is Israel Experiencing a Decline in the Quality of Its Democracy? For our most extremely generous Patreon supporters, we discuss in our extra-special, special extra segment a remarkable new Brookings Institute Policy Brief called “Is Israel in Democratic Decline?” by Tamara Cofman Wittes and Yael Mizrahi-Arnaud. In a moment of I-happen-to-have-Marshall-Mcluhan-right-here, Mizrahi-Arnaud joins us to say, “You understand nothing of our work, how you ever got a podcast is beyond me!” Music The viral positivity of Tazazo: Kuli Ahava, with Mazzal Damsia Mona Lisa, with Tzemer Insomnia Halivai Ani