Jerusalem — Record Turnout as Israelis Vote in Pivotal Election

Turnout reached record levels Tuesday as Israelis voted in a national election widely described as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rule, according to the BBC, which reported from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Polling published Friday showed Netanyahu nearly even with former military chief Gadi Eisenkot in the contest to lead the next government, the BBC reported. Neither man's political bloc is projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a governing majority in the 120-seat Knesset, pointing toward weeks or months of coalition negotiations after votes are counted.

Who is running against Netanyahu?

Eisenkot, a former Israeli military chief of staff, now leads the newly formed Yashar Party and anchors what the BBC described as a "change bloc" — parties with differing ideologies united by the goal of removing Netanyahu from office. Other figures in that bloc include former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan, a left-leaning former general, the BBC reported.

Netanyahu, who first became prime minister in 1996, is seeking another term built on the far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition that has governed since his current term began — what the BBC called the most right-wing coalition in Israel's history.

Despite opposition attack lines over the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Netanyahu has again framed himself as "Mr Security."

Two Arab party blocs are also running. Roughly one-fifth of Israel's population is Arab, and many describe themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel, according to the BBC. Those blocs could theoretically hold the balance of power in coalition talks, but all but one of the leading Jewish parties have ruled out governing with them, the BBC reported.

Why is this vote called a referendum on Netanyahu?

The campaign has centered on security and democracy. The opposition bloc has pressed Netanyahu over what it calls an unprecedented security failure ahead of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza as hostages, the BBC reported. Opposition parties have called for an independent commission of inquiry into the attacks, a step Netanyahu has resisted, saying such a panel would be biased against him, according to the BBC.

Opposition figures also point to what they describe as threats to democracy under Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges he denies, and who continues to pursue judicial overhaul plans that drew mass protests before the Oct. 7 attacks, the BBC reported.

Were there reports of voting irregularities?

Several leading parties complained Tuesday morning of alleged irregularities at polling stations nationwide, according to the BBC. Israel's Central Election Committee said it had found no evidence of systematic tampering with ballot slips, the BBC reported.

Election at a glance

• Seats needed to form a government: 61 of 120 in the Knesset
• People killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks: nearly 1,200, with 251 taken hostage into Gaza, per the BBC

What happens if no bloc reaches a majority?

Israel's proportional representation system has always produced coalition governments, and the BBC noted the process has yielded unexpected alliances before. With polling showing neither the Netanyahu camp nor the Eisenkot-led bloc projected to clear 61 seats, government formation is likely to require negotiations among smaller parties, including the right-wing and ultra-Orthodox factions Netanyahu has depended on and the ideologically mixed parties aligned with Eisenkot.

What is the timeline to a new government?

• 1996: Netanyahu first becomes prime minister
• Oct. 7, 2023: Hamas-led attacks on Israel kill nearly 1,200 people; 251 are taken hostage into Gaza
• Before Oct. 7, 2023: Mass protests erupt over Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plans
• Friday: Polling shows Netanyahu and Eisenkot nearly tied
• Tuesday: Polls open; turnout reaches record levels; parties report alleged irregularities, which the Central Election Committee says show no sign of systematic tampering
• Coming weeks or months: Coalition talks expected, since no bloc is projected to win 61 seats outright

Final results and the shape of any governing coalition were not yet known as voting continued Tuesday, the BBC reported.

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