Israel’s main political leaders cast their votes on Tuesday morning in parliamentary elections that will mark the political future of a country marked in recent years by political instability, with widespread calls for participation and some messages for the expected arduous post-election negotiations.
The current Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, has appealed to citizens to vote «for the future of the country», when exercising his right to vote at a polling station in Tel Aviv, after visiting the grave of his father, who also held positions of responsibility in the Government.
The main contender to unseat him, Benjamin Netanyahu, has also called on Israelis to go out and vote in an election where turnout can be a determining factor. «It is a great privilege, go out and vote,» he proclaimed in Jerusalem, accompanied by his wife, local media reported.
The current head of Defense, Benny Gantz, has also vindicated his chances of becoming prime minister, despite the fact that the polls give National Unity some ten seats. «These elections are not about a big party, but about the party that can best fight incitement, division», he said, for the sake of a third way.
Gantz can be decisive for Israel’s political future, as can the ultra-right-wing Itamar Ben Gvir, who has raised his Religious Zionism to third place in voting intentions. Ben Gvir has ruled himself out as prime minister and, instead, has claimed his importance for Netanyahu’s government to be «a totally right-wing government».
On the sidelines of the political dispute remains the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, who, while participating in the elections, has reaffirmed the «privilege» of a «free, fair and equal» process. «Without any doubt, every vote matters,» he said, in another appeal for participation.
The authorities have set up more than 100,000 polling stations for this day, in which the 120 seats that make up the Knesset (Parliament) will be distributed. The polls have not predicted a clear majority for any of the blocs, so post-electoral negotiations are expected to be key once again.
