Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Oct 27: Israel went to the polls on Tuesday to elect members of the 26th Knesset, the country’s parliament, with around 7.3 million people eligible to cast their votes, local media reported.
The final opinion polls released ahead of the election indicated a close contest between the bloc led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition factions led by former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party.
However, both sides were projected to fall short of a parliamentary majority if they remained committed to their campaign pledges not to form a government with certain other factions, *The Times of Israel* reported.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal Herzog, were among the early voters. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also cast his ballot.
Exit polls were expected shortly after voting concluded at 10 pm local time, offering preliminary indications of the outcome. The official results were expected to be finalised in the coming days after the counting process was completed.
Speaking to reporters, a local resident urged citizens to exercise their democratic right and participate in the election.
“Everybody should go out and vote. Everybody who's over 18 years old should come and say what they need to say and put their specific paper that they want in votes, and should go out and vote. More people should vote; everybody should vote,” the resident said.
Another local resident underscored the importance of the electoral contest, stating, “I say this election is the most important in the history of the State of Israel.”
Meanwhile, former IDF Major Ariel Averbuch expressed concern that the election could result in a political deadlock, potentially forcing the country to hold another election.
“So I'm afraid that we might see a tie tomorrow, which will drag us into another election. At the end of the day, I believe the right wing, probably headed by Netanyahu, will win, but I'm concerned that tomorrow we're going to see a tie. Yes, I think so,” Averbuch told IANS.
Commenting on Netanyahu’s handling of Israel’s security challenges, Averbuch praised the Prime Minister’s approach towards multiple fronts, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran and the Houthis.
“Saying that people aren't happy is really an understatement because he was in charge of a country when we had the most atrocious terror attack since the Holocaust of the Jews. But after that attack, the conduct of Netanyahu during the war is very commendable,” he said.
Averbuch pointed to the pager attack targeting Hezbollah, the deterrence of Hamas, Israel’s control over more than 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, and the handling of attacks involving Iran and the Houthis as examples of what he described as Netanyahu’s firm approach to security challenges.
The election marks Israel’s first electoral contest since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The polls are being held amid significant changes in the country’s political landscape and shifting voter priorities since the 2022 elections.