Deeply divided Israel braces for pivotal election
Summary
Israel is preparing for a closely contested general election on Tuesday, with recent polls placing the governing coalition and opposition bloc nearly even. Centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot has gained support as he and other opposition leaders campaign against Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, while voters debate security, the economy and Israel’s political identity.Key Facts
- Polls published Friday put the governing coalition and the main opposition bloc almost neck-and-neck.
- About half a million first-time voters are expected to cast ballots, and some 70,000 Israelis reportedly flew in from abroad to vote.
- Large crowds of opposition supporters gathered in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call for a change of government.
- Gadi Eisenkot is a former military chief of staff and leads the centrist Yashar party.
- Eisenkot and his party have regularly topped Netanyahu and Likud in recent polls, according to the article.
- Eisenkot has made security, the economy, education and Israel’s national identity central themes of his campaign.
- Opposition leaders accuse Netanyahu’s government of threatening democracy and cite his efforts to curb the judiciary’s powers.
- A pro-Netanyahu speaker used a racist slur about Eisenkot’s Moroccan background during a televised debate earlier this month.
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