Israelis shatter turnout records to pass wartime judgment on Netanyahu

Israelis surged to the polls on Tuesday at ‌a ​pace that shattered records, to pass wartime judgment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what voters described as the most consequential election in the nation's history. Long lines formed outside polling stations for the first election since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, with voters passionately engaged over the trauma of the country's deadliest day and the ensuing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

The Central Elections Committee reported that 55.7% of eligible voters had ‌already cast their ballots within the first nine hours of voting, a record by that point in the day with six more hours to go. Policies of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition have been divisive at home and have deepened Israel's international isolation, while he has defended his record, calling himself the only leader with the mettle to face down Israel's foes.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader with 19 years in office, is an unmatched political survivor, and his nationalist politics are increasingly entrenched. Israel's fragmented system makes it difficult for an array of opponents to force out his coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. His main rival ‌Gadi Eisenkot, a military ex-chief of staff and security hawk, aims to unseat him with the support of parties on the right and centre, as well as the rump of an increasingly marginalised left. Opinion polls show a close race, with neither leader facing an easy path ‌to power.

Forecasters were hesitant to guess what impact the strong turnout might have on the result. A surge in votes from Israelis of Palestinian heritage could limit gains for Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, while increasing the odds that any government formed to oust him would require Arab parties' support, a contentious prospect among Jewish party leaders. Netanyahu told supportersthey needed to come out to vote to balance high turnout among his opponents on the left and Israelis of Arab heritage.

"You all need to stream to the polls," he said. "This is a fateful moment." VOTER SEES ELECTION AS MOST IMPORTANT SHE'S KNOWN

"I think these elections are the most important of all the ones I’ve known," said Ruth Epstein, an 81-year-old longtime left-wing voter in Ramat ⁠Gan near Tel ​Aviv, who voted for the opposition Democrats. Netanyahu has campaigned on an endorsement from ⁠US President Donald Trump, his ally in war against Iran, who has said they should "finish the job".

If neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot can form a governing coalition in the 120-seat parliament, Netanyahu could stay on as caretaker until another election is held. His opponents have managed to wrest him from the premiership only once since 2009, and that took four inconclusive elections in ⁠two years. He was back 18 months later.

EISENKOT SEES 'NEW SPIRIT' For many of Netanyahu's opponents, the election turns on accountability for the security failures of October 7, Israel's deadliest day. Opposition groups have promised to hold a national inquiry, which Netanyahu's government has resisted.

"I am convinced that by the end of today, we will ​see a change — a new spirit for the State of Israel — that will serve as a rectification for the past three years and for that terrible day," Eisenkot said during a visit to kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel, targeted in the October 7 ⁠attacks. He walked to the polls with Gadi Mozes, one of 251 people kidnapped by Hamas and taken to Gaza during the attack that killed 1,200 people.

Eisenkot says Israel's response — a war which health authorities say killed more than 74,000 Palestinians — was a failure because Hamas remains in charge. He repeated his commitment to dismantle or destroy Hamas' military and governing power in Gaza within ⁠18 ​months of forming a government. Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of a far-right party in Netanyahu's coalition, cast his vote in the Kiryat Arba settlement in the occupied West Bank early on Tuesday. He predicted Netanyahu would return as prime minister and his own party would serve as the right-wing anchor of the government.

ARAB TURNOUT COULD BE KEY Ahmed Tibi, a candidate from an Arab party, said record turnout from Israel's Arab minority would "pave the way for an alternative government and change the grave reality".

Eisenkot has ruled out partnering with Arab parties, although some possible scenarios envision him relying on ⁠them to propup a minority government to topple Netanyahu. Netanyahu has repeatedly described Arab Israelis, a fifth of the population, as a threat, in language his opponents say crosses into racism. He posted an image on X on Tuesday showing a queue of Arab women, in niqabs or ⁠with angry expressions, purportedly at a polling station. According to OpenAI's verification website the ⁠image was prepared using its AI tools.

Cars with flags of Netanyahu's Likud Party drove through the Jerusalem streets with loudspeakers blaring the Islamic call to prayer and saying: "Get out of your houses now. Arabs are voting." Like nearly all Jewish party leaders in Israel, Eisenkot opposes the two-state solution that once underpinned decades of peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

But he has criticised Jewish settler violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which has ‌surged since 2023 and strained Israel's ties with ‌Western states. And he opposes Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners. (Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem, Lili Bayer and Alexander Cornwell in Tel ​Aviv Writing by Tom Perry Editing by Howard Goller, Joe Bavier, Peter Graff)