The highly anticipated parliamentary elections in Israel kicked off Tuesday morning. Over 12,000 polling stations opened their doors to the approximately 7.3 million eligible voters.
Recent polls suggest a tight race between the camps of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger, Gadi Eizenkot. It remains uncertain whether Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc or Eizenkot’s center-right alliance will manage to secure an absolute majority. Consequently, the formation of a government is expected to be challenging.
The Israeli parliament, known as the Knesset, consists of 120 members, with a 3.25 percent hurdle required for entry. Initial forecasts and projections are expected shortly after the polling stations close at 9 p.m. German time.
