Ahead of Tuesday’s election of a new parliament, Israel tightened its security measures. A police spokeswoman said on Monday that about 18,000 emergency services were deployed on election day to ensure the safety of 6.8 million eligible voters across the country. It is already the fifth election in about three and a half years.
Former prime minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu – aka “Bibi” – expects a comeback. According to the latest polls, his party, Likud, could once again become the strongest party in the Israeli parliament (Knesset). However, it is unclear whether the right-wing pro-Bibi camp can form a majority. The four-party Netanyahu bloc could count on 60 of the 120 seats in parliament, according to two predictions published by Israeli media a few days ago.
On the other side of the political spectrum is the so-called anti-Netanyahu bloc, which according to polls can hold 56 seats. The third force, the Arab-led Hadash Ta’al list, has four members of parliament. However, according to their own statements, this will not support either of the two alliances.
If the two main alliances in the country of nine million do not win an absolute majority, observers expect a months-long political blockade and another new election – this would be the sixth in five years. Prime Minister Jair Lapid would remain in office as administrator.
Far-right government coming?
The decisive factor is the participation of the Arab population. This represents about 20 percent of Israel’s citizens. If one of the smaller parties in Lapid’s camp fails to overcome the 3.25% hurdle, it could pave the way for a far-right government under Netanyahu. The right-wing alliance of Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir is considered a possible kingmaker. Polls see his Religious Zionist Party as the third strongest force in the country.
The election campaign so far has mostly revolved around Netanyahu and his trial. The 73-year-old politician describes it as a political witch hunt to force him out of office. He is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. His opponents fear that after a victory, the prime minister, who will be in office from 2009 to 2021, could undermine the Israeli legal system to avoid a conviction.
In June, the previous eight-party coalition led by then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett lost its majority after just twelve months. The then foreign minister, Lapid, temporarily assumed the position of head of government. Bennett is no longer running in the upcoming elections.
The final result of the election is not expected until Thursday. Previous polls have shown the result could still change from early predictions on election night. (dpa/reu)