Voting in Israel's Parliamentary Elections Begins

Israeli citizens have headed to polling stations to participate in the country's parliamentary elections, which have been making headlines recently. This voting will determine whether Benjamin Netanyahu, a politician who has held the position of Prime Minister of Israel for many years, will still be able to lead the government. Polling stations opened at 7 AM local time (8:30 AM Tehran time) and will continue until 10 PM (11:30 PM Tehran time). Initial results are expected to be published shortly after the polls close, with official results anticipated to be announced on April 10 (21 Farvardin). Key issues in the Israeli elections include corruption, security, and marijuana. Netanyahu's campaign has been affected by a wave of corruption allegations. He is attempting to secure the Prime Minister's position for the fifth time. His main rivals, who have made the election challenging for the current Prime Minister, are Benny Gantz, a former army commander, and Yair Lapid, leaders of the coalition known as 'Blue and White.' This coalition was formed two months ago from a newly established party alliance called 'Strengthening Israel' and the 'There is a Future' party (Yesh Atid), quickly becoming a strong competitor to the ruling Likud party. The latest pre-election polls, published on April 5, indicated a tie in the number of seats between Likud and the Blue and White coalition, or a slight lead for the coalition over Likud. Further polling is prohibited until election day. Two days before the parliamentary elections, Benjamin Netanyahu assessed that his rivals would win. However, some analysts in Israeli media suggest that these statements were likely made to draw more Likud and right-wing supporters to the polls. Even if the rival coalition faces better luck, Netanyahu still has a high chance of forming a government by allying with smaller right-wing parties.