Israelis heads to polls to decide Netanyahu’s fate

Israelis headed to the polls Tuesday in a closely fought election that pits incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party against former army chief of staff Benny Gant’s Blue and White party, but also offers citizens a choice of 37 other diverse political parties.

Over 10,000 polling stations opened around the country from 7:00 a.m. to allow more than 6.3 million eligible voters to cast their ballots for the 21st Knesset, as a heated campaign season reached its climax.

No party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat parliament, meaning days or even weeks of coalition negotiations lie ahead.

Surveys have shown Gantz’s centrist Blue and White party neck and neck or slightly ahead of Netanyahu’s Likud, but with Netanyahu, well-placed to muster a majority coalition of right-wing parties and retain his office.

With broadcast and traditional media outlets off-limits for campaigning on election day, Netanyahu posted a link on Twitter and Facebook and called for voters to get in touch.

“This morning I am asking to speak with you, personally, through messenger. All it takes is one click on the link. I’m waiting,” he said.

Gantz, taking a different approach, shared a video of himself at the voting station set to music, without any direct comments. His party co-leader, Yair Lapid, posted a video of himself kickboxing with a note saying he was “fighting for every vote”.

After the election, Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, will consult the leaders of every party represented in the Knesset and select the person he believes has the best chance of forming a government.

In the campaign’s final days, Netanyahu has again played to his base and veered to the right, vowing to annex Jewish West Bank settlements if reelected and embarking on a media blitz in which he portrayed himself as the underdog and frantically warned that “the right-wing government is in danger.”