Voting is currently underway in Israel's parliamentary election, with polls scheduled to close at 10:00 PM local time (2:00 AM Bangladesh time). The primary contest is unfolding between the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and the opposition bloc led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, although Eisenkot's alliance also faces internal ideological divisions.
To form a government in the 120-seat Knesset, a party or coalition must secure at least 61 seats. Pre-poll surveys suggest that no single political bloc is likely to achieve an outright majority. If no coalition secures an immediate majority, intense post-election negotiations could drag on for weeks or even months to broker a government.
This marks the country's first national election since the October 7, 2023 attacks led by the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel's subsequent relentless military campaign in Gaza. Critics accuse Netanyahu and his ultra-right-wing government of failing to prevent the attacks and undermining the nation's liberal democracy. However, the prime minister retains a staunch loyalist base that views his leadership as indispensable.
Eisenkot's opposition alliance encompasses a wide spectrum of ideologies, ranging from left-wing secularists to factions representing the occupied West Bank.
