Politics
Israel's Closely Contested Parliamentary Election
Anadolu · 4 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Anadolu

AI SUMMARY
Israelis are voting in a closely contested parliamentary election that could end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure or lead to further political deadlock.
- Approximately 7.3 million eligible voters are participating in Israel's first general election since the October 7, 2023 attacks and subsequent military conflicts.
- The election is taking place across 12,018 polling stations with 37 parties competing for 120 seats in the Knesset.
- Forming a governing coalition requires the support of at least 61 lawmakers, and parties must secure a minimum of 3.25 percent of the vote to enter parliament.
- Final pre-election polls place former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's centrist Yashar party slightly ahead with 22 to 23 projected seats, compared with 19 to 21 seats for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud.
- The B'Yachad alliance is projected to finish third with 14 or 15 seats.
- Netanyahu's right-wing and religious bloc is projected to win 50 seats, while the opposition bloc is forecast to secure 52 to 56 seats.
- Palestinian-led parties, including the Joint List and Ra'am, are projected to win a combined 14 to 16 seats and could hold a decisive balance of power.
- President Isaac Herzog will consult elected parties after the vote to assign the task of forming a government to the lawmaker most likely to command a majority.
- Netanyahu is seeking another term after serving over 18 years as prime minister, while facing ongoing corruption trials, an ICC arrest warrant, and criticism regarding October 7 security failures.
- Eisenkot has campaigned on government accountability and restoring public trust, while maintaining hawkish positions on major security issues including opposition to a sovereign Palestinian state.
- Official election results are scheduled to be published by November 4 following the counting of special ballots.
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