Polling stations opened at 7am local time (5am GMT) and are due to close at 10pm (8pm GMT). A total of 36 electoral lists are contesting 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in a bid to form the country’s 38th government. Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties became the first Israeli government since 1988 to complete a full four-year term, after taking office in December 2022.
Key points
Polling stations opened at 7am local time (5am GMT) and are due to close at 10pm (8pm GMT…: Polling stations opened at 7am local time (5am GMT) and are due to close at 10pm (8pm GMT).
A total of 36 electoral lists are contesting 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliamen…: A total of 36 electoral lists are contesting 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in a bid to form the country’s 38th government.
Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties became the firs…: Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties became the first Israeli government since 1988 to complete a full four-year term, after taking office in December 2022.
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Israelis began voting on Tuesday in the first parliamentary elections since the 7 October 2023 attacks, with incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tough challenge from opposition rival Gadi Eisenkot.
Polling stations opened at 7am local time (5am GMT) and are due to close at 10pm (8pm GMT).
A total of 36 electoral lists are contesting 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in a bid to form the country’s 38th government.
Netanyahu’s coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties became the first Israeli government since 1988 to complete a full four-year term, after taking office in December 2022.
But polls suggest his bloc could fall short of the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority, with projections putting it at around 50.
Activists with the Palestinian-led Ra'am party have been arrested in the Negev region, with their leader accusing authorities of suppressing their election campaign. The arrests have led to ballot slips being removed or defaced in several Arab localities. The Ra'am party has filed a complaint with the Central Elections Committee over the incidents.
Ibrahim Said, who has boycotted Israeli elections since 1980, is one of the many Palestinians who have decided to participate in this historic vote. The situation for Palestinian citizens of Israel is dire, with little hope for improvement in the current political climate.
Three British parliamentarians, Labour MP Clive Lewis, Scottish National Party MP Lara Bird, and Scottish Greens MSP Kate Nevens, were detained by Israel while attempting to enter the occupied West Bank. This incident highlights tensions between the UK and Israel over access to the region, potentially impacting future diplomatic relations.