Parliamentary elections are being held in Israel today. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting a serious battle to remain in power. The outcome of the elections could determine the country's political future, but the failure to form a majority in parliament could also lead to a new political crisis.
Modern.az reports that, according to foreign media, more than 7.3 million voters have the right to vote in the parliamentary elections held on October 27. Voters will determine 120 deputies of the Israeli parliament - the Knesset.
Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time and should close at 22:00. According to the Israeli Central Election Commission, 12,018 polling stations and approximately 18,000 ballot boxes have been prepared across the country. About 100,000 employees were involved in the organization of the elections.
37 parties and electoral lists are fighting to enter the parliament. In Israel, at least 61 deputies' support in the Knesset is required to form a government.
Who are Netanyahu's main rivals?
The main participants in the elections are the "Likud" party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the "Yashar" party of former Chief of Staff of the Israeli army Gadi Eisenkot, and the "Together" alliance led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
Netanyahu has been one of the main figures in Israeli politics for many years. However, his government has faced serious criticism for its failure to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the military operations in the Gaza Strip, and the country's security policy.
National security, government accountability, corruption allegations, and the country's future governance model have become the main topics of discussion in the election campaign.
Former army chief Gadi Eisenkot, on the other hand, demands increased government accountability and an investigation into the security failures that occurred on October 7, 2023.
What can the election results change?
Israel's electoral system necessitates a coalition agreement between parties to form a government in parliament. Therefore, the leader of the party that receives the most votes in the election is not automatically guaranteed to become prime minister.
If no political bloc obtains 61 mandates as a result of the election, complex negotiations will be held to form a government. In this case, Netanyahu may continue his duties as interim prime minister, and if no agreement is reached between political forces, the country may go to elections again.
The mandates won by Arab parties representing Palestinian-born Israeli citizens can also affect the balance between political forces.
