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Earlier on this story25 Oct: Israel Votes In Closely Contested Election As Benjamin Netanyahu Battles Gadi Eisenkot2 more

Israeli Politicsupdated 16m ago3 min read

Israel Votes In Legislative Election With Netanyahu’s Survival On The Line Against Eisenkot

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Netanyahu and Eisenkot contest a near-tie, neither bloc likely to secure 61 seats. About 7.3 million eligible voters; turnout at 31.5% by noon.

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Netanyahu faces vote

Israelis began voting on Tuesday for the first legislative elections since October 7, 2023, with the ballot taking on the look of a referendum for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a fractured country. Polling stations opened at 5:00 GMT and were to close at 20:00 GMT, and about 7.3 million Israelis were called to vote as official results were expected in the days to come. Netanyahu, 77, has sought to convince voters he remains best placed to ensure Israel’s security despite the October 7 failure, and he has pledged, if victorious, to “finish the job” in Iran.

Gadi Eisenkot, the centrist former army chief leading the main opposition bloc, promised to “bring all Israelis together again,” as the two blocs were described as neck and neck in the latest polls. The Knesset majority threshold of 61 seats loomed over the race, with neither camp appearing capable of clinching it and negotiations expected to be lengthy after the vote.

Reporting for this section20 Minuten20 Minutes

Turnout and accusations

Benjamin Netanyahu accused his Israeli Arab opponents of trying to « steal the election », and he claimed that « three senior officials » from a party with an Arab majority had been arrested in the south of the country in possession of envelopes filled with cash. Electoral authorities clarified that those people, intercepted near their homes, « had not yet reached the polling stations » and said an investigation was ongoing. Dean Livneh, director of the Central Electoral Commission, said that three hours after the vote began at 05:00 GMT, « more than 1.2 million Israelis had voted », for a turnout rate of 16.68%.

Ruth Epstein, an 81-year-old longtime left-wing voter in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, said, “I’m really scared about what will be here,” as she voted for the opposition Democrats. Gadi Eisenkot told supporters during a visit to kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, “I am convinced that by the end of today, we will see a change — a new spirit for the State of Israel.”

Reporting for this section20 MinutesAl-Monitor

What comes next

The election results were expected to decide whether Netanyahu could form a government or whether the country would move into political deadlock, because neither bloc was described as able to secure the 61-seat majority needed to govern. Al Jazeera said the final vote tally is expected by Friday and official election results are formally published a week after the election, on November 4, while exit polls were expected to appear immediately after polls closed. Al Jazeera also said that if no party or coalition secures a majority, results could take much longer, and it described a scenario in which the current cabinet, Netanyahu’s government, would remain as a caretaker government.

Al Jazeera further said that once the final count is in, President Isaac Herzog will speak with party leaders about who they want as prime minister, then tap the candidate he believes has the best chance of forming a government. The Al Jazeera explainer added that if all negotiations fail and no grouping can cobble together a workable government, new elections would have to be called.

Reporting for this sectionAl Jazeera