Israeli citizens began heading to polling stations across the country on Tuesday to cast ballots for a new parliament, marking the first general vote held since theOct. 7, 2023 attacks. The contest serves as a referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose standing has been under scrutiny following the ensuing wars in the Gaza Strip and with Iran, as well as Israel’s growing isolation on the international stage.
A total of 7.33 million people are eligible to cast votes for the 120 seats of the 26th Knesset. Current polling suggests a closely contested race between Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and an opposition alliance led by Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief and leader of the Yashar party. Polling stations close at 10 p.m. local time, with a majority of 61 seats required to form a government, a threshold neither leading camp is likely to meet without a coalition.