Israelis headed to polling stations in record numbers on Tuesday to decide the political fate of Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister who is facing one of the most consequential tests of his decadeslong political career.
asserted
who → head → career
Netanyahu was joined by his wife Sara as he cast his ballot just after midday, local time, at a polling station in a Jerusalem school.
asserted
he → join → school
My wife and I are truly overwhelmed,” Netanyahu told reporters after voting.
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Netanyahu → overwhelm → voting
“We know what is at stake, and since I am not allowed to say things explicitly, I will say: Vote correctly.
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I → know → things
From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time (1 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT), Israelis can cast votes for representatives in the Knesset.
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Israelis → cast → Knesset
Numbers from Israel's Central Elections Committee reflect a strong turnout, with 66.7% of eligible voters reported to have cast their ballots by 6 p.m., local time.
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% → reflect → p.m.
It is understood to be the highest turnout logged at this time since since 1973.
asserted
It → understand → 1973
Hours after the polls opened, Netanyahu told his supporters that "buses are heading to the polling stations and huge lines are being reported in the Arab settlements."
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lines → open → settlements
Complaining that "the right-wing strongholds are not waking up," he again urged people to go out and vote.
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he → complain → people
Netanyahu’s Likud party said in a statement that it had submitted a request to the Central Elections Committee to extend voting hours past 10 p.m.
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it → say → p.m.
The committee later said it would not be extend voting hours past the scheduled closing time.
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it → say → time
Since then, Israel under Netanyahu has pursued an aggressive military campaign across the Middle East—going to war with Iran, backing settler attacks and displacement in the West Bank, and carrying out strikes against militant groups in Lebanon and Yemen.
asserted
Israel → pursue → Lebanon
Tuesday’s election is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership and Israelis’ willingness to change course amid uncertainty.
asserted
election → see → uncertainty
According to polls, the outcome is far from certain, with a tight race expected as Israel decides upon its future.
uncertain
Israel → accord → future
“I hope this will be a true holiday for democracy,” Isaac Herzog, the Israeli head of state, told reporters from a polling station in Rehavia, where he and his wife voted.
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he → hope → Rehavia
“No one can be allowed to spoil or undermine it.”
Here’s what to know.
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one → allow → what
Who’s running?
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Who → run → ?
Two main political blocs are contending to form Israel’s next government.
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blocs → contend → government
The first is the pro-Netanyahu coalition led by Netanyahu’s Likud party.
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first → lead → party
The coalition includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties, such as Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) led by national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Religious Zionism-Zehut led by finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.
asserted
coalition → include → Smotrich
Their ultranationalist policies have found an audience in younger right-wing Israelis.
asserted
policies → find → Israelis
On the other side are the Jewish-led opposition movements—with former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot and the centrist Yashar (Straight) party at the forefront.
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movements → lead → forefront
Eisenkot, who entered politics in 2022, joined Netanyahu’s emergency war cabinet after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
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who → enter → Israel
But after having lost a son in combat in Israel’s wars, Eisenkot left his post in 2024.
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Eisenkot → lose → 2024
Two of his nephews also died fighting in Gaza, a prominent campaign talking point.
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Two → die → Gaza
The opposition also includes a joint ticket led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Knesset opposition leader Yair Lapid, the secular nationalist party Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) led by former finance minister Avigdor Lieberman, and the Democrats led by former IDF deputy chief of staff Yair Golan.
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opposition → include → Golan
The Democrats party on Tuesday said Golan had been “approached in a threatening manner” by a man who was found to be carrying a knife.
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who → say → knife
The lawmaker was attending a voting-day mobilization tour in Tel Aviv's HaMesila Park at the time of the incident.
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lawmaker → attend → incident
"Golan’s security guards blocked the man, and as they moved toward him, a large knife slipped from beneath his clothing and fell to the ground," the party said in a statement shared with the Guardian.
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party → block → Guardian
"Police were called to the scene and arrested the suspect."
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Police → call → suspect
Golan, in his own statement, vowed that "incitement and violence will not deter us" and encouraged people to go out and vote.
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incitement → vow → people
Meanwhile, some polls suggest that Eisenkot’s Yashar party may garner slightly more support than Netanyahu’s Likud, but they also project that neither the Prime Minister’s right-wing bloc nor the opposition may win the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a government.
uncertain
bloc → suggest → government
Including Arab parties such as United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List, or fringe parties, could be necessary to form a government.
uncertain
Including → include → government
Both pro-Netanyahu and anti-Netanyahu coalitions have so far ruled out teaming up with the Arab-led parties.
asserted
coalitions → rule → parties
Arab citizens of Israel make up about 20% of the population, though they receive fewer government services and endure higher poverty and unemployment rates.
asserted
they → make → rates
Discrimination and disappointment have historically depressed Arab-Israeli voter turnout.
asserted
Discrimination → depress → turnout
Netanyahu touts Trump endorsement
Netanyahu hopes to maintain his premiership with the help of his longstanding ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, who only announced his endorsement days before the election as conflict in the Middle East has tested their friendship.
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conflict → tout → friendship
In a late-night TV appearance on Oct. 25, Netanyahu boasted of Trump’s endorsement and said that Trump was willing to take action “that would finally, finally, remove the Iranian threat” so long as Netanyahu stayed in power.
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Netanyahu → boast → power
Netanyahu added that he has already instructed Israel’s national intelligence agency Mossad as well as the IDF to “bring down” the Iranian regime.
asserted
he → add → regime
Trump remains very popular in Israel.
asserted
Trump → remain → Israel
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
