Voting Underway Across Israel in Crucial General Elections; Tough Electoral Battle Expected Between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Gadi Eisenkot
TEL AVIV: Polling stations have officially opened for Israel’s general elections, and will be open throughout the night until 10:00 PM local time while millions of electorate choose Israel’s political future.
The election will be a big one, as 73 lakh (7.3 million) people are eligible to vote. If a party or coalition can win at least 61 seats in the 120-seat parliament (Knesset), it can form a government. Almost 5 lakh voters are voting for the first time, and about 70,000 Israelis have come from overseas to vote, exclusively to take part in democracy, reports say.
This is a summary of the key highlights of Israel’s 2015 General Elections and key contenders.This is a summary of the key highlights of Israel’s General Elections 2015 and key contenders.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition and a combined opposition front led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot are headed for an intense political battle, according to political analysts.
Profile: Opposition contender Gadi Eisenkot has attracted significant public popularity, thanks to his gentle manner as a former military commander whose son died during the Gaza war. He manages well to come across as a Man of the People, rather than a member of the wealthy urban class of Israel.
The significance of the Elections: The general elections in Israel come at a time of heightened international and domestic attention on Israel’s political leadership, wartime accountability, and trajectory of future governance, following the devastating attacks of October 7, 2023.