Israel recorded its highest turnout for the early afternoon stage of an election on Tuesday, as voters cast ballots in a closely contested race involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
The Central Elections Committee said 44.9 per cent of eligible voters had voted by 2:00 pm local time. According to an AFP report published by the Jamaica Observer, that was the highest figure for that point in the day since comparable records began in 1973.
About 7.3 million people were eligible to vote in the first election since the October 7, 2023 attack. Security and accountability featured prominently in a campaign shaped by the attack and subsequent regional wars.
The last published opinion polls showed Netanyahu running neck and neck with Eisenkot, whose Yashar party leads an informal opposition grouping spanning the right to the centre-left. Other figures in that grouping include former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and Democrats leader Yair Golan.
After voting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu expressed concern about high participation among Arab voters and alleged attempts to steal the election. Eisenkot’s party accused him of preparing to challenge the outcome. Those competing statements were campaign claims, rather than findings about the conduct or result of the national vote.
Separately, acting Central Elections Committee director general Dean Livne said police had caught people suspected of trying to bribe voters. He described the matter as a localised case under investigation and said the suspects were apprehended near their homes, away from polling stations.
Eisenkot voted after privately visiting the grave of his son Gal, who died fighting in Gaza. He urged Israelis to replace the government. AFP also reported that some Israelis had travelled from overseas to participate in the election.
Predominantly Arab electoral lists could play a decisive role if the outcome is close. Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot had publicly committed to partnering with those lists, according to the report.
The turnout figures reflected participation while voting was still under way. The report did not establish a winner or a final allocation of seats.
