Israel election: Netanyahu faces toughest political battle as voters decide country’s future
The crucial polling that would decide the fate of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take place in Israel on Tuesday. These elections have been described as a litmus test for Netanyahu, who has been criticised for handling of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and the Iran war.
Around 7.3 million people are eligible to vote in these elections, with surveys indicating that most of them describe themselves as centre-right or right-wing. Thousands have also returned to Israel to cast their votes in an election that would decide the future of the country.
“I think this is one of the most important election days in the history of the state of Israel,” Uriel Brandler, a 58-year-old real estate agent in Jerusalem, told AFP before the polling. “The country definitely needs a change for the better in every aspect.”
The biggest test for Netanyahu?
77-year-old Netanyahu is Israel’s longest serving prime minister and continues enjoying a popularity in the country. Despite everything, these elections are expected to be extremely tough for him, with surveys indicating that he is facing a neck-and-neck contest from Gadi Eisenkot, his main rival and a centrist leader.
Netanyahu’s administration is facing allegations of fraud and corruption, with many questioning his decision relating the Iran war and how he handled the Hamas attack that left nearly 1,200 dead in Israel. Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who leads the centrist Yashar party, has portrayed himself as an alternative.
Many opinion polls indicate he has a lead over Netanyahu. Apart from Eisenkot, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is another candidate who is challenging Netanyahu’s coalition. Bennett, another right-wing leader who was prime minister in 2021, leads the B’Yachad electoral alliance that also includes former PM’s Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party.
Trump’s endorsement for Netanyahu
With polls indicating that Netanyahu faces a tight contest from his rivals, US President Donald Trump has endorsed the Israeli prime minister, describing him as a fantastic leader who has done very good job. “He’s done a very good job as Prime Minister under very trying conditions,” he told reporters on Monday.
Netanyahu has extended his greetings to Trump and said Israel and the US has never such a friendship between their leaders. “US President Donald Trump has come with a friendship that has never existed before between an Israeli prime minister and an American president. And it is doubtful we will ever have such a friendly president again,” he said Sunday.
How Israel votes?
In Israel, voting is conducted using the proportional representation system. Under this, Israel serves as a single electoral constituency to elect the 120 members of the Knesset, which is the country’s parliament.
Voters do not elect individual members of parliament. Instead, they vote for closed party lists. This system allows numerous political parties to compete for seats in the legislature. To enter the Knesset, a party must cross the 3.25 per cent electoral threshold, a requirement that often prompts pre-election alliances and mergers.
The Knesset serves a four-year term, but elections can be held early if it votes to dissolve itself, fails to approve the state budget within the prescribed period, or a new government cannot be formed.
The party winning the most seats does not automatically form the government. After the election, the president consults political factions and appoints a lawmaker to form a government. The candidate must secure the support of at least 61 lawmakers to form a government.
(With AP, AFP inputs)
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