International Desk: Two-thirds of Israeli voters had cast a ballot by early evening on Tuesday, according to Israel’s Central Elections Committee, exceeding the total number of voters at the last election.
By 6pm (16:00 GMT), some 66.7 percent of eligible Israelis had voted, up from 57.7 percent by the same time in 2022. Israel’s military says turnout among soldiers had climbed beyond 68 percent by 5pm (15:00 GMT) – higher than the 65 percent tracked at the same stage of the 2022 election.
Polling stations will close at 10pm local time (20:00 GMT), but the Central Elections Committee says anyone waiting in line at that time will still be allowed to vote.
This comes as local media reports say the committee rejected a request by Likud to extend voting hours beyond 10pm.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has issued an 11th-hour appeal for right-wing voters to cast their ballots, saying that turnout “in the Arab sector is unprecedented” and that a “dangerous left-wing government” could take power.
“Do not despair! It is still possible to win,” Smotrich said in a post on X.
Prominent politicians from Arab-led lists have accused right-wing figures of incitement against Palestinian citizens, who make up 20 percent of Israel’s population, and of questioning their legitimacy to vote. Mitchell Barak, a pollster and former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin
1973 peak
Mitchell Barak, a pollster and former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier told Al Jazeera that voter turnout “is really high and that’s good”.
“I think … it will probably pass its historic peak in ‘73 – when Israel was also involved in a huge war – so draw what conclusion from that you will,” he added.
The election is largely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s handling of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the wars that followed, the most intense period of combat for Israel since the 1973 surprise military campaign by Egypt and Syria.
“Those numbers are going to help the incumbent parties,” Barak said, “as the 3.25 percent threshold a party needs to get into the Knesset remains, the number of votes you need to meet that threshold increases dramatically.”
Israeli officials noted that several polling stations had faced ex
Israeli officials noted that several polling stations had faced exceptionally long lines, which were attributed to high voter turnout despite rainy and blustery weather in parts of the country, and a flood warning in some areas.
election is largely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s handling of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the wars that followed, the most intense period of combat for Israel since the 1973 surprise military campaign by Egypt and Syria.
“Those numbers are going to help the incumbent parties,” Barak said, “as the 3.25 percent threshold a party needs to get into the Knesset remains, the number of votes you need to meet that threshold increases dramatically.”
Israeli officials noted that several polling stations had faced exceptionally long lines, which were attributed to high voter turnout despite rainy and blustery weather in parts of the country, and a floor Source: Al Jazeera
