(Dawn Megli / Neon Tommy)

While the U.S. was busy focusing on the festivities surrounding President Obama's inauguration, Israel was shaking up its political atmosphere. On Tuesday, Israel's election created surprising shocks that are still being assessed.

According to Huffington Post, the party of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, did worse than expected, only winning 31 seats compared to the 42 seats they won in 2009. Despite these loses Netanyahu is still expected to remain Prime Minister.

However, the biggest surprise of the election is Yair Lapid's rise to success. Lapid's Yesh Atid party won 19 seats in the election despite its newcomer status. Yesh Atid is considered a left wing party, at least leaning more to the left than Netanyahu's party.

Israel's legislature is comprised of 120 seats, but a coalition of 61 seats is required to govern. This is where things get interesting. The prime minister must find a way to get to a 61 set majority.  According to the Daily Beast, the top two winners in this election cycle were Netanyahu's party, with 31, and Yesh Atid, with 19 seats.

However, Lapid wasn't the only major success during the election. Naftali Bennett also did better than expected, winning 11 seats. Lapid and Bennett are diametrically opposed in their policies. While Lapid is considered left wing, Bennett is considered right wing. Bennett opposes all negotiations with Palestine and is considered very extreme in his views. 

Israel can't afford to allow Bennett to gain a lot of power in the government because of his polarized views. Israel is conscious of the reinvigorated Obama administration and Obama's continued goal of peace talks with Palestine. Israel is acutely aware that the U.S. is one of their only remaining allies.

This is where the significance of Lapid's success comes into play. His 19 seats trump Bennett's 11 seats, making him more valuable to Netanyahu. Netanyahu would be wise to make Lapid a part of his coalition to make Israel a global country. 

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of Israel here.

Reach Staff Reporter Alexis Miller here.