Israeli Parliamentary Elections Begin

The Israeli parliamentary elections to select 120 members of the Knesset began on the morning of Tuesday, March 16. Following these elections, the new government and prime minister of the country will also be determined. Since the first parliamentary elections in Israel in 1949, no party has been able to achieve an absolute majority in the parliament, which has led to political and party coalitions determining the fate of the government and the prime minister. The main competition is primarily between the Likud party (right) led by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Zionist Union (center-left) led by Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni. On the other hand, the list of Israeli Arab parties, which has been published as a single entity for the first time, is mentioned as one of the determining factors in the elections. In the latest statements of the election campaign, Netanyahu has said that as long as he holds the cabinet presidency, he will not allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. According to Reuters, the current Prime Minister of Israel stated, 'The choice is clear: Likud led by me, which will continue to stand for Israel's vital interests, compared to the left-wing government... which is ready to accept any command.' The presence of politicians from both main parties among the public and their tweets in the final days and hours of the campaign are notable. On the other side of the campaign, Isaac Herzog stated on his Facebook page, 'Israel will stagnate with Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) in place.' From Tzipi Livni's Twitter (with her on the right and Isaac Herzog next to her), despite the fact that the final election results are not yet clear, the latest polls indicate that the center-left could secure 24 to 26 seats, while Likud may obtain between 20 to 22 seats. Benjamin Netanyahu is considered one of the main opponents of the current nuclear negotiations with Iran and a few days before the elections, he went to the U.S. Congress to speak on this matter. The invitation to Congress, where Republicans hold the majority, faced opposition and criticism from some Democrats and members of the U.S. government. However, on the other side, politicians opposing Netanyahu in Israel consider Iran's nuclear program a serious threat to the security of the country. According to Reuters, the Zionist Union has made economic reforms the centerpiece of its election campaign and has stated its intention to reduce the costs of services in the fields of education and health. Voting will continue until 10 PM (local time).