Netanyahu gets ahead in the count in Israel with half the vote scrutinized

JerusalemIsrael is heading towards a new stage of political uncertainty as the count from Tuesday's elections progresses, with 50% of the vote tallied. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party, the Likud, would be the most voted, but would not have a majority to form a government with the coalition that has supported him until now, which would obtain 55 seats in a 120-member parliament. The opposition bloc, led by former general Gadi Eisenkot, who is in second place, would end up with 49 seats. And in the middle, the three parties representing Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, with 16 deputies, could be decisive.

At 3:14 a.m., the Prime Minister delivered a speech of about ten minutes at the Likud election headquarters in Jerusalem, in which he proclaimed his party as the most voted and claimed credit for Israel's military results in the wars following the October 7, 2023, attacks. "Iran is weaker than ever and Israel is stronger than ever," he stated. He also assured that, together with Trump, Israel has a historic opportunity to end the Iranian threat once and for all and criticized the parties willing to cooperate with the Arab factions.

The security and the political future of Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have been the center of the debate. At the Rothschild school, in the western part of Jerusalem, conversations among voters yesterday depicted a society that shares the same ballot boxes, but not necessarily the same future.

"I am voting for Yair Golan. He is the democratic one, I believe in peace, and I think it is the party that will lead us to this promised land of peace," explained a voter. But his argument did not stay within the party acronyms. "I have lost a friend in the war. I need it to stop. Today we are also voting in the name of the dead. He died in the battle of Kibbutz Sufa. Why? Years later, Hamas is still in Gaza." The question summarizes the exhaustion of a part of Israeli society after the attacks of October 7, 2023, and the various wars that followed. Another voter extends his desire for peace beyond Israel's borders. "We need peace for all peoples, for Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron. We must end the suffering and fascism." A few meters away, however, another voice defends the continuity of Benjamin Netanyahu. "The wars will not end. That is why I trust Bibi. I always have."

Participation has been one of the biggest figures of the day. By ten o'clock at night, 77.7% of the census had voted. In total, more than 5.6 million people cast their ballots, according to data from the Central Election Commission. It is the highest turnout recorded since 1999.

Facing elections that were expected to be fragmented and very close, the parties have tried to convince their voters that staying home could have consequences. In messages on social media, Netanyahu warned during the day of high turnout among Arab voters and left-wing sectors and asked his supporters to go to the polls. "They are trying to steal the election from us," he said in a video addressed to Likud voters. The prime minister linked these accusations to the arrest of three figures who, according to his version, were related to the United Arab List (Ra'am) party and who had been arrested with envelopes full of cash for alleged election bribery. He also presented a possible victory for the opposition parties, both Zionist and Arab, as a threat to the future of the Jewish state.

The opposition reacted forcefully. Yashar, the party led by Gadi Eisenkot, accused the prime minister of trying to undermine confidence in the electoral process and preparing the ground to question the results. "He is panicking and has started making up stories, claiming that the election is being stolen from him," the group said.

Reports of irregularities also piled up during the day. Yashar, B'Yachad, Yisrael Beitenu, the United Arab List, and other groups have reported missing or damaged ballots and other possible interference in the voting. The Central Election Commission has assured, however, that there is no evidence of manipulation and that the incidents are being addressed. Defective ballots will not be automatically invalidated: they will be counted as long as the option chosen by the voter can be clearly identified.