Israelis vote in a tense national election seen as a referendum on Netanyahu

Israelis were voting Tuesday in a tense national election widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the wars that have since shaken the Middle East.

Israelis vote for parties, which then form alliances to create a majority coalition. No single party has ever won a 61-seat majority in the 120-member parliament, or Knesset.

Opinion polls suggest a tight race, with no clear winner expected, setting the stage for weeks or even months of negotiations among around a dozen parties expected to win seats in the Knesset.

Here is the latest:

Emotions are running high as Israelis head to the polls

In Kiryat Shmona, a Netanyahu stronghold near the border with Lebanon, a man kicked and tore down a poster of the prime minister’s leading rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

In Tel Aviv, some families of those killed in the Hamas-led 2023 attack or former hostages held a moment of silence.

“Remember all those whose voices are no more,” said Yona Adam, the mother of Mapal Adam, who was killed.

Polls open across Israel in a tense election

As polls were starting to open on Tuesday, thousands of volunteer Israeli election observers were in place at polling stations across the country to monitor the election.

Eyal Sher said he volunteered this year with a civil society group called Elections Guards because he wanted to play a role in such a critical vote.

“We have a corrupt government that will do anything to stay in power,” he said. “Every vote counts and we want to make sure the procedures are kept intact.”

Netanyahu’s legacy is on the line in the vote

Netanyahu has been Israel’s most dominant politician for nearly two decades, and a poor showing could end the 77-year-old’s lengthy career on a bitter note and open the door to a new era in Israeli politics.

A victory would cement his image as the ultimate political survivor. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump backed Netanyahu’s reelection, but the late endorsement still marked a setback for the Likud politician who had billed his tight ties to the Republican president as a selling point for staying in power.

Netanyahu has been a master at forming coalitions with religious and nationalist partners. But opinion polls now suggest a tight race between his bloc and the one led by his chief rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, which says Netanyahu should be held accountable for Oct. 7 and the failure to turn battlefield victories into diplomatic achievements.

Scars of Oct. 7 weigh heavily on Israelis

The deadliest day in Israel’s history has featured prominently in the campaign, but there has been almost no debate over Israel’s wartime conduct in Gaza, which led to an international arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

Israel’s occupation of much of southern Lebanon and parts of Syria, as well as its two wars launched against Iran, also has broad support among Israelis.

The candidates have instead focused on Netanyahu’s role in the security breakdown on Oct. 7; his efforts to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service and a 2023 judicial overhaul seen by critics as an assault on Israel’s democratic institutions.