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A reflection in a bus window shows a Likud party election campaign banner depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shaking hands with U.S. President Donald Trump in Jerusalem 15 September 2019. - Sputnik International

Israelis Heading to Polling Stations as Netanyahu Strives For a New Term After 10 Years in Power

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As Israel prepares to vote in Tuesday's snap general election, the competition between the two front runners - the centre-right ruling Likud party and the centrist Blue and White alliance - remains fierce, blurring the political future of the Israeli state.

After Likud's leader and current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government in April, the Israeli parliament voted to dissolve itself and call a snap election for the first time in the country's history.

The Israeli parliament, Knesset, comprises 120 seats. The electoral process is made up of two components: first, people vote for the party of their choice via secret ballot in a single nationwide electoral district, after that each party receives a number of seats proportional to the votes it gained. The minimum vote threshold to win a seat is 3.25 percent, and 61 seats are required to form a majority government.

According to the recent polls, there're ten parties which are likely to surpass the threshold. However, the main battle will be seen ongoing between Netanyahu's Likud and Blue and White parties which enjoy the support of 31 to 33 percent of voters each.

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01:20 GMT 18.09.2019
22:38 GMT 17.09.2019

The turnout in the snap general election to Israel's unicameral parliament, the Knesset, has amounted to 69.4 percent, the Israeli Central Elections Committee said.

The voter turnout at this election is 1.5 percent higher than during the previous snap parliamentary election, held in April 2019.

22:03 GMT 17.09.2019

Israel's former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the nationalist secular Yisrael Beiteinu party, believes that a wide coalition of his party, opposition centrist Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) alliance and the incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party is the only option to form the government.

Without Lieberman's support, a potential right-wing coalition led by Likud could control up to 57 seats, while an opposition coalition led by Blue and White could gain no more than 58 seats. It means that both leading political forces are falling short of the 61 seats needed for a governing majority. Thus, Lieberman was called by Israeli media a possible kingmaker in this parliamentary election.

"There is only one option — a broad government comprising Yisrael Beiteinu, Likud and Kahol Lavan," Lieberman said after exit polls were published.

18:09 GMT 17.09.2019

The turnout in the snap general election to Israel's unicameral parliament, the Knesset, has reached 53.5 percent by 6pm (20:00 GMT), ynetnews reports citing the Israeli Central Elections Committee.

Earlier in the day, CEC announced that the turnout has reached 26.8 percent by 12:00 a.m. (14:00 GMT), the highest since 1984

"Voting rates throughout Israel at 12:00 a.m. local time were 26.8 percent ... achieved its highest percentage of votes since 1984," the statement read.

06:50 GMT 17.09.2019
06:44 GMT 17.09.2019
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